Bogdanovich scores 25 points, Kings rout Warriors 100-79
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Sacramento Kings flipped the script Sunday night in their one-sided rivalry against the Golden State Warriors.
Bogdan Bogdanovich scored 25 points and Buddy Hield added 19 as the Kings routed the Warriors 100-79.
Sacramento won for the fourth time in five games and shook off a disappointing home loss Friday to the lowly New York Knicks.
The Kings also took a step in reversing the storyline against their Northern California rival, beating the Warriors for just the fourth time in the past 25 games between the teams dating to the 2013-14 season.
“I thought our guys were making the right pass, the extra pass,” Sacramento coach Luke Walton said. “It shows what kind of shooting (we can have) when we play that way.”
Sacramento improved to 12-14, holding Golden State to 39% shooting. The Warriors have lost eight of nine to fall to 5-23.
The Kings thrived offensively, displaying excellent ball movement and shooting a season-best 60% from the field. The 79 points allowed also was a season-low for an opponent.
Things could get better for the Kings, too, as their roster gets healthier.
Second-year big man Marvin Bagley III, who had 17 points Sunday, recently returned from a broken thumb. Sacramento also expects to get starting point guard De’Aaron Fox back from a severely sprained ankle in the next week or so. Fox has missed five weeks.
“I’m just getting back, and to have him come back not too long after me, it’ll be great for us,” Bagley III said. “We’ll kind of get back to what we were doing before all the injuries happened.”
The short-term future isn’t as promising for Golden State, which because of injuries is just a shell of the team that’s gone to five consecutive NBA Finals.
Golden State was 6 of 25 from 3-point range Sunday and matched its season low for points in a game. Sacramento turned the ball over 29 times, yet the Warriors couldn’t make the Kings pay.
“I’ve never seen a box score like this, where we forced 29 turnovers but lost by 21 points,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “It shows you how poorly we played. Our decision-making was awful. It was an embarrassing loss tonight.”
Willie Cauley-Stein, facing his former team, led the Warriors with 14 points on 7-for-9 shooting.
Sacramento ended all doubt after halftime, outscoring Golden State 28-17 for the third quarter to command a 79-59 lead.
TIP-INS
Kings: Bagley III has played center since returning two games ago, and Walton said he envisions that continuing for the foreseeable future. Walton cited the Kings’ success playing “small-ball” recently, and he thinks Bagley can be more effective in the pick-and-roll at the center spot. ... Sacramento’s 29 turnovers were an NBA-high for any team this season. ... On the bright side, the Kings notched 27 assists.
Warriors: Surprisingly, Golden State’s 18 points in the first quarter weren’t a season low for the opening period. That came Oct. 30 with 14 vs. Phoenix. ... F Eric Paschall missed his second game in a row with left hip soreness, but Kerr anticipates the rookie returning Wednesday against Portland.
LINEUP SHUFFLE
Golden State trotted out its 14th different starting lineup in 28 games this season. Damion Lee started at shooting guard in his first start as a Warrior and contributed 13 points, 10 of them in the first half. Glenn Robinson III slid from shooting guard to small forward with Paschall out.
UP NEXT
Kings: At Charlotte on Tuesday night,
Warriors: At Portland on Wednesday night.bbbbb