It’s not really a rivalry yet, but the NBA tends to reach a little during its forced “Rivalry Week” games. If not a rivalry, it was still a chance for Harrison Barnes to make a statement.
It was the Kings making plays on Thursday. There was Domantas Sabonis’ dunk with :22 seconds left to give the Kings the lead for good.
Sabonis slams it to take the lead!@SacramentoKings - 134@warriors - 133
— NBA (@NBA) January 26, 2024
22 SECONDS LEFT IN THE 4Q 🍿#NBARivalsWeek
Warriors-Kings | Live on TNT pic.twitter.com/99Mj9WcEod
That left plenty of time for the Warriors to win, but De’Aaron Fox’s pressure defense on Stephen Curry led to a turnover for Golden State.
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) January 26, 2024
However, the real hero of the night for the Kings was Harrison Barnes, who reminded his former team what he is capable of scoring a career-high 39 in the 134-133 win.
"This is the Harrison Barnes the Warriors hoped they were getting when they drafted him 7th overall." @BontaHill // @DWRIGHTWAY1 // @MontePooleNBCS pic.twitter.com/cFoVIlWb4V
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) January 26, 2024
With the win the 25-18 Kings, sitting seventh in the West, stay in touch with the sixth-seed Suns, Sacramento still can avoid the play in over the second half of the season.
The Warriors fell to 19-23, a couple of games back of even the final play-in spot, and the questions around them have more to do with potential moves at the trade deadline than anything else.
