SAN FRANCISCO — With Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins in the league’s COVID protocols and unable to play, the Warriors were looking for someone to help Steph Curry carry the offensive load Monday against the Sacramento Kings.
But many hands make light work.
Or, as the Warriors would say — there’s strength in numbers.
The Warriors had six players score double-digit points, the Golden State bench combined for 47 points, and Draymond Green had his first triple-double of the season to back up Curry, who scored 30 points — 15 in the fourth quarter — in Golden State’s 113-98 win.
Those many Golden State hands also swiped 12 steals in the game. It was their 12th 10-plus steal game of the season for the NBA’s top-ranked defense.
Damion Lee — typically a bench player — started in the place of Poole and scored 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting to further bolster the Warriors’ offense.
Gary Payton II and Otto Porter each had 12 points off the bench. Andre Iguodala added 10.
The Warriors had a 15-point first-half lead and a 12-point advantage going into halftime but saw that advantage disintegrate in the third quarter, when Sacramento took a two-point lead with under two minutes to play in the frame and Curry on the bench.
Curry sat the final three minutes of the third. The Warriors survived, and the long rest going into the quarter break allowed Curry to start the fourth and perhaps sparked his big frame. The Warriors had a 10-0 run in the fourth that proved the difference in the contest.
The Kings, on the back end of a two-city back-to-back, were without De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley and 2021 first-round pick Davion Mitchell, in addition to three other plays and their interim coach Alvin Gentry. They were led by second-year point guard Tyrese Haliburton — 24 points on 8-of-18 shooting, 11 assists — and Buddy Hield, who had 18 second-half points.
Green registered his triple-double in the first three quarters of the game, scoring 12 points, picking up 10 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists in his first 28 minutes Monday. He finished with 16 points. The Warriors are now 30-1 in the regular season when Green has a triple-double.
Jonathan Kuminga started his second straight game Monday with Wiggins out. But the rookie and No. 7 overall pick only played six minutes before being ruled out with lower back tightness.
Kuminga scored two points, had a steal and was a plus-seven alongside Green and Curry.
_____-
