SACRAMENTO – The sweet revenge of the California Classic.
The Warriors outlasted the Sacramento Kings over seven games in the first round of the NBA playoffs two months ago behind Steph Curry’s 50-point performance at Golden 1 Center, but Golden State’s summer league squad couldn’t get the job done this time around, losing 100-94 on Monday night.
In a game marred by fouls, a familiar face stood out the most. Keegan Murray, coming off an impressive rookie season for the Kings, was no match for a Warriors team that consists of little to no NBA experience.
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Murray scored a game-high 29 points in a multitude of ways.
Warriors first-round pick from last month, Brandin Podziemski, started slowly trying to find ways to score and totaled 12 points.
The Kings will return to court Wednesday against the Miami Heat at 7 p.m. PT, and the Warriors open the day at 3 p.m. PT against the Charlotte Hornets.
Here are three takeaways from a tight game between the Warriors and Kings.
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Home Cooking
Starting as a rookie in a season where the Kings ended their 16-year playoff drought apparently wasn’t enough for Murray. The Kings have to be extremely happy watching Murray’s game being right where it left off last season. He was the best player on the floor by a long shot, helping sell tickets in a win against the Kings’ Northern California rivals.
His first two points made the building feel like a playoff atmosphere, too.
He didn’t stop there. Murray played 31 minutes and the Kings shouldn’t have to see much else from him this summer. Of his 29 points, 10 came from free throws, nine were from his three 3-pointers and Murray was 5 of 9 on 2-pointers as well.
Murray averaged 12.2 points on 41.1 percent 3-point shooting in his rookie campaign, and should be an even bigger part of the Kings’ offense next season on a team that’s looking to make the jump into contention.
First Look at Podz
The first skill set Podziemski was expected to bring to the Warriors was scoring off the bench behind a silky jump shot. But his shot wasn’t falling in his Warriors debut.
Podziemski went 4 of 9 from the field, though there are positives there. He missed his first four shot attempts – a contested layup, two floaters and a three – but then starting finding his groove. His first points actually came from a goaltending call.
The No. 19 overall pick scored eight of his 12 points in the fourth quarter. Podziemski also added six assists and six rebounds, was directing traffic and gave energy for all four quarters.
Second-round pick Trayce Jackson-Davis was out due to a right hamstring injury.
Quinones Came To Play
Behind Murray, the player who looked the most like a pro was Lester Quinones.
After excelling for the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz last season, Quinones towards the end of the regular season earned a 10-day contract and finished the season on a two-way contract with the Warriors. He’s a prime candidate for a two-way contract again this season and is pushing to prove he can be trusted at the highest level. If anything, he should be able to score in any league.
Quinones’ 26 points topped all Warriors scorers, and he did so efficiently. The 22-year-old was 10-of-16 shooting and drained five of his eight 3-point attempts. Quinones can score in a hurry, and showed why the Warriors are intrigued by his skill set there.
Gui Santos also showed off his scoring acumen, dropping 19 points, though he was a lowly 5 of 13 from the field. Santos turned 21 years old on June 22, and is the Warriors’ lone player left from last year’s draft class.