Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant wasn't pleased with skating by the Sacramento Kings in a 125-123 win at Oracle Arena, one that came down to the winding seconds of regulation and a mental lapse from Buddy Hield, which eventually closed out the affair.
The Warriors swept the season series 4-0, but have only managed a plus-12 differential through those four games, with the largest margin of victory coming in a five-point win on Dec. 14.
“This is the fourth game we deserved to lose to this team (this season),” said Durant, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Frontcourt partner Draymond Green offered a similar sentiment when posed with the potential of playing them in the playoffs, if the Kings can muster the eighth and final seed in the West.
Article Continues Below“Every game we play them dudes I leave the game exhausted, go home and I’m dead,” said Green. “So hopefully not.”
The Kings have plenty of young bodies and fast legs to make this a track meet every time they meet, a play style in which the Warriors could have excelled in the past, but not now as a veteran squad.
Sacramento led at the half and for the entire third quarter before a fourth-quarter rally and a barrage of Stephen Curry 3-pointers helped the Warriors retake the lead.
Yet the Kings always kept Golden State on their toes and managed to stay close, never letting a double-digit lead develop throughout the game — something that now has become a trend in recent matchups between these two teams.