Warriors at Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a team on the rise, one of several young teams pushing to become like the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors, who visit the Kings on Friday, are coming off a rare off night but still look poised to contend for their third consecutive NBA title and fourth in five years.
Golden State had a four-game winning streak come to an end in a 113-93 home loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday and admitted to struggling to find the intensity on a nightly basis. "We're now in a place where we're defending a title and defending sort of a mantle that we've had for several years, and it's a different vibe," Kerr told reporters. "It's a different feeling than when you're on the climb like Toronto is, like Milwaukee is, like we were a few years ago. It's a different feeling, it's a different vibe. It's harder to get up for each game, and so there are certain nights where you can just feel it, you don't have that energy, and if you played in the NBA, you've coached in this league, you understand it." The Kings seem to have endless energy and shot 58.1 percent from the floor while turning away the Minnesota Timberwolves 141-130 on Wednesday. Sacramento knocked down a franchise-record 19 3-pointers in the win, led by shooting guard Buddy Hield's five.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (Golden State), NBCS California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (19-10): Golden State is considering its place in history and star guard Stephen Curry got caught up defending his team against former Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal, who suggested his Los Angeles squad could beat the Warriors. "For me, I think it's a tough conversation because I've always found it hard to compare eras to each other," Curry told ESPN. "But in terms of having three banners up there and create parallels and comparisons to how they dominated the league through their run to what we're doing now, I think that speaks a lot on its own. Just in terms of us accomplishing the goal and fulfilling the potential that we have." Curry averaged 32.5 points during a four-game winning streak but slumped to 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting on Wednesday.
ABOUT THE KINGS (15-12): Sacramento reached deep into its well of solid young guards and plucked out Yogi Ferrell on Wednesday, watching him score 17 points in 16 minutes off the bench. Ferrell went 4-of-4 from 3-point range after totaling 13 points in the previous 14 contests. "Hats off to Yogi Ferrell about being a professional and being ready for an opportunity," Kings coach Dave Joerger told reporters. "We preach that with our young guys – staying ready, staying ready, staying ready. Heck of a game."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Kings PF Nemanja Bjelica scored a season-high 25 points on Wednesday.
2. Warriors SF Andre Iguodala (hip) sat out the last two games and is day-to-day.
3. Kevin Durant scored 44 points as Golden State held off Sacramento 117-116 at home on Nov. 24.