SACRAMENTO -- After seeing their home win streak snapped at nine games, the Warriors on Sunday travel 90 miles northeast to face the Sacramento Kings.
This will be the first appearance for the Warriors at Golden 1 Center, which opened three months ago in downtown Sacramento.
The Warriors (31-6) are trying to recover from their second late-game meltdown in 12 days, blowing a 24-point lead Friday night before losing to Memphis in overtime. They haven’t lost in Sacramento since Dec. 19, 2012.
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Since sliding into the No. 8 playoff seed with a four-game win streak in late-December, the Kings (15-21) have lost four of five games, including their last three at home.
BETTING LINE
Warriors by 11.5
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Golden State Warriors
Zaza Pachulia and Co. vs. DeMarcus Cousins. By far the best player on his team and among the best centers in the NBA, Cousins generally sets the tone for how the Kings play. If he’s good, they have chance. If he’s great, they have a very good chance. If he’s off, they’re toast. Pachulia is just the kind of physical center who can get into Cousins’ head. Zaza will need help, and he’ll get it from his tag-team partners on the Warriors bench. The Warriors also won’t hesitate to double-team Cousins at times.
INJURY LIST
Warriors: No injuries listed. C Damian Jones is on assignment with Santa Cruz of the Development League.
Kings: F Rudy Gay (R hip flexor strain) is listed as probable.
LAST 10
Warriors: 8-2. Kings: 5-5.
SERIES HISTORY
The Warriors have won the last 12 meetings, dating back to March 2013. This is the first meeting this season.
THREE THINGS TO WATCH
Site adjustment: Despite making their debut in an arena they’ve never seen, much less practiced in, the Warriors did not have a morning shootaround at Golden 1. New buildings sometimes require a period of adaptation for depth perception and more. Will the Warriors need a quarter or so before settling in on offense?
Own the glass: Though the Warriors don’t command the offensive glass, they are a good rebounding team, ranking seventh overall. The Kings, by contrast, are 29th in rebounding. This is an area in which the Warriors should dominate. To not do so could crack open the door for Sacramento.
D ripe for ripping: The Warriors over the past week have seen two bottom-five defensive teams (Denver, Portland) and averaged 126 points in those games. The Kings are sixth from the bottom, so the Warriors will have chances to make it rain.