Klay Dazzles From Deep, Warriors Beat Kings
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Klay Thompson hit his first seven shots overall and initial six 3-pointers on the way to 23 points and seven assists, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Sacramento Kings 126-114 on Thursday night for their eighth straight victory.
Thompson knocked down three straight from deep early in the second as Golden State began the period on a 9-2 burst to build a 43-25 lead. On one of those, he drove past Davion Mitchell to the left corner and hit an off-balanced baseline 3 — raising an arm to celebrate.
Thompson finished 8 for 11 from the floor with seven 3s and continues to make strides following his 2 1/2-year comeback from surgeries on his left knee and and right Achilles tendon.
"To see him do it in competition reminds us how special he is," Warriors general manager Bob Myers said shortly before tipoff.
Stephen Curry scored 20 points and dished out seven assists playing with foul trouble, while Andrew Wiggins scored 12 in the Warriors' fourth victory in a row against the Kings and fourth in the series at home.
Mitchell scored 26 points and Harrison Barnes added 25 against his former Warriors team as the Kings completed a back-to-back after a 112-101 win at home against Brooklyn on Wednesday night.
Interim Kings coach Alvin Gentry was on the Warriors staff in 2014-15 during Steve Kerr's first year and Kerr credits Gentry for teaching him how to coach.
"First of all, I can say that I appreciate the compliment, but Steve worked his butt off from Day One as far as being a head coach," Gentry said.
Golden State got some of its regulars back after the Warriors won Tuesday night at San Antonio without Curry, Thompson, Draymond Green and Wiggins in the second night of a back-to-back.
FLOOR LEADER
While his shooting has been up and down, Curry continues to facilitate.
The reigning scoring champion has 71 assists to 24 turnovers his last nine games.
GREEN'S STATUS
Green, named an All-Star reserve and currently sidelined by a lower back injury that caused him a painful calf, is hopeful of returning in 3 to 4 weeks but is pain-free and thrilled he won't need back surgery.
"When dealing with a back, the one thing I'm not going to do is rush back out there," he said. "I want to return when I'm 100% confident that I'm healthy, when I feel like I'm in great shape, because the reality is, I don't want to return not in somewhat of game shape and then, you're laboring, your mechanics and running is wrong, and all of these things and then you're compensating, and then I get hurt again."
Green has resumed shooting after what he considered an encouraging follow-up appointment Monday.
"I think ultimately this will be a positive for me, I'll come back stronger," Green said.
TIP-INS
Kings: G De'Aaron Fox missed his seventh straight game because of left ankle soreness, but was a game-time decision. ... Marvin Bagley III (left ankle sprain) sat out his third in a row. ... Sacramento hasn't won on the Warriors' home floor since a 112-94 victory on Feb. 25, 2020, in Chase Center's inaugural season.
Warriors: Kerr was credited for coaching his 600th NBA game, though Luke Walton guided Golden State the initial 43 games of 2015-16 as Kerr dealt with complications from back surgery. ... Veteran Andre Iguodala, who turned 38 on Jan. 28, remained out after staying home from the quick two-game road trip through Texas to nurse a left hip injury. Kerr had hoped to have him back against the Kings, but Iguodala missed his eighth straight game and has been limited to just 25 contests so far. ... Kevon Looney has 48 rebounds — 21 offensive — the last four games. ... Otto Porter Jr. (left foot) missed his third straight game and Nemanja Bjelica (back spasms) his fourth in a row. ... The Warriors are 23-8 against Western Conference teams.
UP NEXT
Warriors: At Oklahoma City on Monday night having won five straight in the series including two in a row on the Thunder's home floor.
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