SAN FRANCISCO _ Over the years, the Sacramento Kings have adopted little-brother status as they've looked to emulate the Warriors' success.
On Sunday, the big-brother Warriors (5-23) were bested by the Kings 100-79 at Chase Center. This was the Kings' first visit to the $1.4 billion facility. In the third quarter, when a spirited "LET'S GO WARRIORS" chant broke out while Golden State was down by 20 points, a "SAC-RA-MEN-TO" chant from the upper-reaches of the arena drowned out the home crowd _ a symbolic gesture of how overwhelmed the Warriors were by their northern neighbors.
The Kings (12-14) shot 60.3% from the field, out-rebounded the Warriors by 12, and held the Warriors to their lowest point total of the season (tied with Dec. 2 loss in Atlanta). A series of runs put the game out of reach.
Golden State made just 7 of 21 shots in the first quarter, as Sacramento used a 12-2 run to take a 26-18 lead heading into the second. The Warriors staged a brief comeback, unleashing a 12-0 run to cut a 16-point deficit to four midway through the second quarter.
Forward Draymond Green missed a wide-open layup too strong, leading to Kings guard Buddy Hield's layup in transition to extend Sacramento's lead. By halftime, the Warriors trailed 51-42.
The Kings then barreled to a 23-9 run to take a 23-point lead with 3:57 left in the third quarter, one that would sustain them for the rest of the game. By the final minutes, Sacramento fans' chant turned into a roar.
A rivalry between the Warriors and Kings has never been realized, mainly because the two organizations have yet to be good concurrently. Losers of 18 of their last 21 games, the Warriors sit at the bottom of the league's standings. The Kings aren't contenders in the Western Conference but, if the playoffs started today, they would be the No. 7 seed.
Bogdan Bogdanovic led the Kings with 25 points on 9-of-11 shooting, five rebounds and five assists and Hield finished with 19 points on a tidy 8-of-11 shooting performance.
The Warriors, without rookie forward Eric Paschall (hip) for the second straight game, were led by former Kings center Willie Cauley-Stein, who logged 14 points, five rebounds and six steals in 30 minutes. Only two other Warriors, guards Damion Lee (13) and Alec Burks (11), scored double digits.
At the end of the third quarter, Warriors coach Steve Kerr was assessed a technical foul after complaining about what he thought should have been called a travel on the Kings.
After Friday's loss in Utah, Kerr remarked he felt his team was close to getting a much-needed win, but Sunday's loss was another frustrating setback.
