NBA: Kings defeat Warriors to force third-place playoff matchup
Posted : 29 April 2023
The Sacramento Kings defeated the Golden State Warriors 118-99 in San Francisco to force a play-off series finale between the two teams.
In a rout of the Warriors, the Kings tied the series at 3-3 with a combined 54 points from Malik Monk and De'Aaron Fox.
The Kings, who are the third-seeded team, will have the benefit of playing at home on Sunday.
After finishing a 4-2 series victory against the Memphis Grizzlies, LeBron James' LA Lakers are waiting for the victors in the Western Conference semifinals.
The Lakers won 125-85 behind 31 points from D'Angelo Russell.
Santi Aldama led the Grizzlies in scoring with 16 points, but while trailing by 17 points at the half, the second-seeded team never seemed to be pushing for a decisive seventh game.
After winning their fourth NBA championship in eight years last season, the Warriors entered their showdown against the Kings as overwhelming favorites.
The Warriors were constantly behind an inspired Kings team that is now on the verge of winning a play-off series for the first time in 19 years, despite Stephen Curry,
the NBA Finals MVP from last season, leading the scoring with 29 points.
Monk led the Kings' surge with 28 points, and Fox finished with a double-double with 26 points and a game-high 11 assists.
For the first time since winning the 2018 Western finals to advance to the NBA championship, the sixth-seeded Warriors will draw encouragement from their victory against the Kings in game five as they enter a decisive seventh game of a play-off series.
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