The Golden State Warriors beat the Sacramento Kings 123-116 at Golden 1 Center on Wednesday, taking a 3-2 lead in the most exciting series of the first round. Draymond Green's superlative effort headlines reactions from the Dubs' pivotal Game 5 win.
Draymond Green does it all
How did Green respond by coming off the bench for the second straight game under the postseason pressure cooker, a public admission of his rippling offensive shortcomings? Not only by dropping 20-plus points for the first time since Christmas 2019, shooting 80% from the field while doing it.
Green also scored from all three levels in Game 5, giving the Warriors' offense some much-needed extra juice off the dribble and an unlikely late-clock release valve. Far less surprising? Green was still the best defender on the floor at Golden 1 Center.
The eyes-in-the-back-of-the-head steal, while obviously impressive, is the type of superlative defensive play Draymond makes seem routine—especially in big moments. But how about Green's elbow Dirk fade that came seconds before on the other end, rescuing the Warriors from a harried possession while clinging to a one-point lead?
Green had the touch that's so frequently eluded him since 2016 from the opening tip on Wednesday night.
If he's confidently splashing corner triples and finishing through contact off the bounce like this throughout the playoffs, the Dubs are probably title favorites.
Green's 21-point outburst in Game 5 would seem so anomalous even if the majority of his scores weren't jumpers and self-created. He hadn't crossed the 20-point threshold in the playoffs since the 2019 Western Conference Finals.
Green was on the right side of 30 back then, still an absolute fixture—in the present and future—for a modern-day dynasty with no end in sight. He's living a much different reality right now, even defending another title the Warriors couldn't have won without him.
What hasn't changed? Draymond is still capable of doing it all for Golden State on the biggest, brightest stages. That very likely won't mean another high-efficiency scoring explosion as the Dubs' playoff run continues, now with Sacramento's back suddenly against the wall.
Good thing Green's proven over and over throughout a Hall-of-Fame career he doesn't need points to dominate.
Warriors' rotation seems set
Matchups loom especially large in the postseason, and Steve Kerr has comfortably altered his lineups from series-to-series for years. Expect that to continue if the Warriors can claw past the Kings, meeting other foes on the path toward back-to-back titles.
Heading into Friday's elimination game at Chase Center, though, the Dubs' rotation against Sacramento seems set: Green playing the role of a sixth starter, with Gary Payton II and Donte DiVincenzo the only reserves locked into extended minutes behind Golden State's “foundational six.”
Payton actually entered after DiVincenzo and Moses Moody off the bench on Wednesday, maybe a lingering result of the illness that forced him out of Game 3 and limited him in Game 4. But he was easily Golden State's most impactful non-Green reserve, unlocking disruptive switch-heavy lineups defensively, pounding the glass and finding his niche as a weak-side finisher.
This is classic GP2.
He won the ensuing jump ball over Domantas Sabonis, too.
Payton stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, six rebounds (four on offense!) and two steals in just 16 minutes Wednesday night. The Dubs would relish that raw production from any regular bench player, but what separates Payton from other reserves is the additional defensive versatility his presence provides.
Golden State outscored Sacramento by 11 points over a game-flipping three-minute stint in the second quarter while Stephen Curry was getting a breather. Klay Thompson's three straight triples led the charge, but putting Payton on the floor with Green, Thompson and Andrew Wiggins allowed the Warriors to switch across four positions, throwing the Kings out of rhythm.
Look for Kerr to give lineups featuring Payton an extra long look in Game 6.
Kings start hot, go cold from deep
Golden State trailed 36-33 following a frantic first quarter, unsettled offensively early and a half-step slow reacting to new Sacramento wrinkles on the other end. But Kerr said what was on every numbers-minded fan's mind entering the second quarter: The Warriors did well to climb back from a nine-point hole considering the Kings scored to 8-of-13 from three.
Those eight triples are tied for the most Sacramento has ever made in a quarter during the postseason. They seemed like a longtime coming, too, considering the Kings' uncharacteristic struggles from long-range leading up to Game 5. Making matters more ominous for the Dubs? Fox, evidently unbothered by the broken index finger on his shooting hand, canned three triples in the first 12 minutes.
Sacramento's burgeoning superstar missed his next seven tries from deep, leading his team's brick-fest. The Kings shot a dismal 2-of-21 on threes over the last three quarters of Game 5, leaving points dotted across the arc of Golden 1 Center.
If not for a pair of four-point possessions in the fourth quarter—both aided by Golden State take fouls—and the Warriors' own ugly long-range shooting (11-of-38, 28.9%), Sacramento would've been blown off its home floor.
The Dubs flat out-played the Kings in Game 5. The defending champions' talent advantage seemed as obvious as it has all series, an encouraging omen for Friday night even before considering Sacramento faces elimination from the hostile confines Chase Center.
But the Warriors can't expect the Kings to stay cold from beyond the arc in Game 6. Its season on the line, Sacramento remains due for some positive shooting regression.
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