The Dubs host their Northern California neighbors on the back end of a back-to-back on Saturday evening.
HELLO NEIGHBOR
The Warriors play the back end of a rare home back-to-back on Saturday, taking on the Kings for the first of four head-to-head meetings this season. Last season, the Dubs split the season series with their Northern California neighbors, and the Kings actually won both games at Oracle Arena. The Dubs are coming off their best performance in three weeks, the Dubs will look to keep it going against a Kings squad that is one of the bigger surprises in the NBA.
LAST TIME OUT
The Warriors shot 56.5 percent and made 17 3-pointers – with six players making at least two – in Friday’s 125-97 victory over the Trail Blazers. Kevin Durant had 32 points and Klay Thompson came through with 31 as the Dubs became the first team in the West to reach 13 wins this season. Full Recap
MATCHUP AT A GLANCE
| GSW | SAC |
|---|---|
| 13-7 | 10-8 |
| 4th in West | 8th in West |
| PTS: 115.9 (5th) | PTS: 114.2 (8th) |
| REB: 45.3 (15th) | REB: 45.6 (13th) |
| AST: 28.2 (1st) | AST: 24.8 (8th) |
LAST GAME'S STARTERS
GSW: Quinn Cook, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala and Damian Jones
SAC: De'Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Iman Shumpert, Nemanja Bjelia and Willie Cauley-Stein
INJURY & ROSTER NOTES
GSW: DeMarcus Cousins (left Achilles rehab) and Stephen Curry (left groin strain). Draymond Green (right toe sprain) and Alfonzo McKinnie (left foot soreness) are TBD. Team Notes
SAC: Kosta Koufos (right calf strain) is out. Team Notes
ANSWERING THE BELL
Warriors forward Jordan Bell has seen inconsistent minutes this season, but on Friday he provided a tremendous spark off the bench. He played 21 minutes and tied Quinn Cook for the best plus/minus rating in the game. He was a plus-26, meaning the Dubs outscored Portland by 26 points while Bell was on the floor. The second-year forward only made two shots, but he was all over the floor. He grabbed five rebounds and had seven assists, which was also tied for the most on the team. Head Coach Steve Kerr called Bell the story of the game, and Assistant Coach Mike Brown credited Bell’s diving steal as the biggest play of the game. Those types of hustle plays can really get a team going, and for a Warriors team that was struggling heading into Friday’s game, that kind of effort can’t be understated. If Bell can continue to stay within himself but still provide that passion, energy and hustle, then there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be able to see regular rotation minutes moving forward.
TEAM LEADERS
| GSW | SAC |
|---|---|
| PTS: Curry (29.5) | PTS: Hield (18.7) |
| REB: Durant (7.6) | REB: Cauley-Stein (8.6) |
| AST: Green (7.2) | AST: Fox (7.7) |
SACRAMENTO SCOUTING REPORT
The Kings haven’t had more than 30 wins in a season in 10 years, but this season they have a chance to put an end to their 12-season playoff drought. The Kings are 10-8 on the season, winning their last two games over the Thunder and Jazz. Sacramento likes to get out and run, ranking second in the NBA with 106.1 possessions per game and lead the NBA in fast break scoring (22.2 points per game). Six Kings average double figures in scoring, led by Buddy Hield at 18.7 points per game. With the Dubs playing on consecutive days, look for the Kings to try and make this a track meet, which should make this game a fun one to watch.