Warriors Rout Kings, Sweep Season Series
OAKLAND (CBS / AP) -- Klay Thompson scored 21 points, Stephen Curry had 13 points and five assists and the Golden State Warriors routed the Sacramento Kings 102-69 on Friday night.
The Warriors led 59-27 at halftime and 75-33 early in the third quarter. It was the fewest points Golden State has allowed this season and the fewest points Sacramento has scored.
The Warriors (47-29) matched last season's win total and gained ground in the Western Conference playoff race. They moved within 1 1/2 games of fifth-place Portland with six games to play after the Trail Blazers lost to Phoenix.
DeMarcus Cousins finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Rudy Gay scored 10 points for the rebuilding Kings (27-49), who looked lost and lethargic against their Northern California rivals.
Golden State outshot the Kings 44.7 percent to 32.1 percent, outrebounded them 58-44 and forced 16 turnovers. The Warriors swept the season series (4-0) for the first time since going 5-0 against Sacramento in 1991-92, and the finale was never close.
The Warriors crushed the Kings even while playing without starting center Andrew Bogut and power forward David Lee. It was the fifth straight game Lee has missed because of a strained right hamstring and the fourth game in a row Bogut has sat out with a bruise in his pelvis and groin area.
Jermaine O'Neal had 13 points and nine rebounds, and Draymond Green added 10 points and 10 rebounds to help Golden State outscore Sacramento 54-28 in the paint.
With Golden State's starting big men sidelined, the paint was clear for Cousins to dominate. Instead, Sacramento's center picked up two fouls in the first 1:48, Kings coach Michael Malone was called for a technical foul trying to defend him and the Warriors shut down Sacramento the rest of the quarter -- and most of the game.
The Kings started 1-for-11 shooting, including missing 10 straight shots and committing eight turnovers during a span of nearly nine minutes. The Warriors whipped the announced sellout crowd of 19,596 into a frenzy after converting all those turnovers into a flurry of fast-break dunks.
With most of the team struggling and point guard Isaiah Thomas out for the sixth consecutive game with a bruised right quadriceps, the Kings provided little punch -- and even less fight.
Green caught a full-court pass from O'Neal for an uncontested layup early in the third quarter. O'Neal put his hands in the air as if he was signaling for a touchdown.
The Warriors went ahead 75-33 moments later and spent most of the fourth quarter laughing and smiling on the bench, especially after Marreese Speights finished a one-handed dunk over Travis Outlaw, sending Andre Iguodala and Curry running onto the floor in celebration.
NOTES: The fewest points the Kings had scored in a game previously this season came in a 99-79 loss to San Antonio on March 21. ... The fewest points the Warriors had allowed was in a 76-74 loss to the Spurs on Nov. 8. ... The Warriors finished 8-0 at home against Pacific Division opponents for the first time in franchise history.
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