Kings at Warriors
THE STORY: There are plenty of games going on this weekend that have playoff implications. The Golden State Warriors hosting the Sacramento Kings on Sunday just isn’t one of them. Still, that doesn’t have to indicate that the game is meaningless, as both teams are still evaluating players for what they hope will be more productive 2011-12 campaigns. The Warriors have proven they can score with the best of them, it’s the defensive end that has caused most of the problems. The Kings have built themselves a talented core, it’s just a matter of getting the proper pieces around Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, CSCA, CSBA
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (35-44): Golden State has been out of the running for a playoff spot for awhile now but has refused to quit, beating three Western Conference playoff teams in the past three games. The Warriors took down the Dallas Mavericks, 99-92, last Saturday and followed it up with back-to-back wins this week at Portland and at home against the Los Angeles Lakers. The most impressive thing about the three-game winning streak is that they have not allowed more than 92 points in any of the contests. Monta Ellis continued his strong season with 26 points and David Lee collected 22 points and 17 rebounds in the 95-87 win over the Lakers. Golden State even managed to outrebound Los Angeles, 50-47, and force 17 turnovers.
ABOUT THE KINGS (23-56): Sacramento had its own nice streak a couple of weeks ago, winning four straight toward the end of March. The Kings even stuck their noses in the Western Conference race on Tuesday, knocking the Houston Rockets to the brink of elimination in a 104-101 road triumph. They could not manage to do the same on Wednesday or Friday, however, suffering losses at San Antonio and Memphis. Sacramento closes out its four-game road trip with the Warriors before finishing with two straight at home. Those two are very likely the final games for the franchise in Sacramento with a proposed move to Anaheim next season seeming like more and more of a reality.
WHO’S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Ellis is putting up 29.3 points over the last three for Golden State. Samuel Dalembert has recorded three straight double-doubles and is averaging 13.7 rebounds in that span for the Kings while Marcus Thornton has been limited to 2 of 18 shooting from beyond the arc in the last five.
KEY STATISTIC: 3-point shooting. The Kings have struggled from beyond the arc recently, connecting on only 22.4 percent of their 3-point attempts over the last five games. The Warriors have been strong defensively on the perimeter, holding opponents to 24.4 percent.
SEASON SERIES: The Warriors took the first two meetings this season - both in overtime - in December and January. The Kings got them back on Mar. 14 in Sacramento, picking up a 129-119 win behind 42 points from Thornton and 27 points and 16 rebounds from Dalembert. The Pacific Division rivals split four matchups during the 2009-2010 campaign.
KEY INJURIES: SACRAMENTO: C Hassan Whiteside (knee); G Marquis Daniels (neck). GOLDEN STATE: G Acie Law (wrist); C Andris Biedrins (ankle).
LAST WORD: “We are playing for something,” Warriors coach Keith Smart said. “We are creating an identity for our basketball team.”