The Golden State Warriors play host to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday afternoon in a crucial Western Conference showdown from the Chase Center. The Kings jumped out to a 2-0 series lead after their pair of home games to open things up but the Warriors responded well at home on Thursday, setting the tone for a crucial game three. In four regular-season meetings, the Warriors won three of those, though across all seven meetings including the playoffs, the Warriors cling to a 4-3 lead. This is a game that could certainly dictate the rest of the series and is likely to be the most exciting of those on Sunday's slate.
The Kings jumped out to a 2-0 lead after back-to-back home wins to open the series and while most expected them to struggle on the road, they still have a great opportunity. A win on Sunday would set the tone in their return to Sacramento and make things increasingly more difficult for their opponent to mount a comeback. The Kings had a strong record in road games, going 25-17 this season, though grabbing a win in a road game in this series is something that they were unable to do in three tries this season. The Kings might be the three seed but with momentum and confidence dwindling after Thursday's defeat, this one could be the most important game of their season.
Injuries have been kind to the Kings this year and has been one of the reasons for their historic turn-around. They only have one injury listed as they head into Sunday, as Matthew Dellavedova (finger) remains out indefinitely. His absence isn't li kely to have an impact on how this one goes though.
“We're asking him to play on both sides of the ball. You have to guard Steph… That's why he's an All-Star, and that's why he's an All-NBA player as well.
?? Mike Brown's confidence in @swipathefox's ability to make plays on both ends of the floor. pic.twitter.com/9dodZJxLgZ
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) April 22, 2023
The Kings have one of the best offenses in the league and they'll need to keep the scoring up if they want to find a win in this one. Over the course of the season, they rank first in the league in scoring and second in field-goal efficiency. The struggles have come on the defensive end and they'll need to continue to find a way to slow down Curry, though the effort at doing that has been an issue. They rank 25th in scoring defense anyway, while sitting in the bottom third of the league in a number of defensive categories. De'Aaron Fox has been one of the best in the league this season but the x-factor for this one actually is the rookie, Keegan Murray. A starter for the entire season, his 3.3 points per game won't cut it and if they can get him making shots, it'll spread out the offense and get them scoring at their regular season levels.