Thornton Leads Kings Past Warriors 129-119
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Marcus Thornton and Samuel Dalembert had career scoring nights with 42 and 27 points and the Kings beat the Golden State Warriors 129-119 Monday night in what might have been the final meeting ever in Sacramento between the Northern California rivals.
DeMarcus Cousins added 15 as the Kings had their second-highest scoring game of the season and shot 57 percent to win for just the second time in their past nine home games.
Al Thornton scored 23 points and Stephen Curry added 19 to lead the Warriors, who were never in this game a night after beating Minnesota 100-77 in their most lopsided win of the season.
With the Kings contemplating a move to Anaheim after the season, this could have been the final meeting ever between the teams in Sacramento. The teams will still meet once more in Oakland this season on April 10.
In the 26 seasons that the two franchises have been divided by fewer than 100 miles, they have never both made the playoffs at the same time. While the proximity has not led to meaningful games between the teams, there has been passion between the fan bases. A sizable contingent of Warriors fans made the drive on Interstate 80 for the game and made their presence felt with their cheers.
The teams even got into it late in the first half when each team was called for two technical fouls after a run-in between Al Thornton and Dalembert.
"Regardless of the record between these two teams, there's always a fantastic show," Warriors coach Keith Smart said before the game.
It was the Kings that put on the show this night, getting huge offensive nights from Thornton and Dalembert against the defensively challenged Warriors. Sacramento made 22 of 28 shots in the paint in the first half and reached the 100-point mark with just over 2 minutes left in the third quarter on a layup by Dalembert. The Kings led 107-84 after three quarters.
Thornton topped his previous career high of 37 with a 3-pointer early in the fourth that gave him 38 points and the Kings a 110-92 lead. While that advantage might have seemed safe, Sacramento had blown big fourth-quarter leads and lost in overtime to Golden State in the first two meetings this season.
The Kings took a 122-99 lead on a dunk by Jason Thompson midway through the fourth. After a free throw by Dalembert, the Warriors scored 15 straight points to cut it to nine before Acie Law missed a 3-pointer with 1:31 left and Francisco Garcia iced it with a 3 for Sacramento.
The Kings took control early, scoring 19 straight points following a 3-pointer by Dorell Wright that opened the scoring for the Warriors. Andris Biedrins botched an alley-oop attempt as Golden State missed seven straight shots at one point and Thornton stole a rebound away from Monta Ellis before going in for an uncontested dunk.
By the time David Lee ended the drought for Golden State with a bank shot in the lane, the Kings were up 19-5. Sacramento led 35-20 after one and expanded the lead to 25 points early in the second quarter after a 3-pointer by Thornton.
Ellis, the seventh leading scorer in the league, then got his first points after going scoreless for the first 15-plus minutes. That started a stretch where the Warriors made 11 of 13 shots to get back into the game. They trailed 71-59 at the break and it could have been closer. Wright scored just after the buzzer as he tried to go in for an uncontested dunk instead of shooting before the end of the half.
Notes: Kings G Tyreke Evans, who has missed 14 straight games with an injured left foot, will visit a doctor Tuesday to see if he will be cleared to resume practice. ... Sacramento G Beno Udrih returned after missing three games with the flu.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
