The defending champion Golden State Warriors are one win away from advancing to the Western Conference semi-finals after outlasting the Kings 123-116 in Game 5 in Sacramento to take a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven series.
Stephen Curry led the way for the Dubs finishing with 31 points and eight assists on 12-of-25 from the field whilst Klay Thompson added 25 points of his own on 5-of-11 from behind the arc.
In his first game back in Sacramento since his Game 2 ejection, Draymond Green played a starring role for the Warriors off the bench finishing with 21 points, seven assists, and four steals on 8-of-10 shooting.
His 21 points was his highest playoff scoring output since Game 2 of the 2017 Western Conference semi-finals versus Utah – almost six years ago.
Kevon Looney was again tremendous for the defending champions finishing with four points, 22 rebounds, and seven assists.
It is the second time this series that Looney has finished a game with 20+ rebounds and 7+ assists; only Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan, Wes Unseld and Nate Thurmond have reached those marks on more occasions in playoff history.
The Warriors were also buoyed by another productive performance courtesy of Andrew Wiggins with the 28-year-old putting up 20 points, two blocks, and two blocks on 9-of-16 shooting; he has now scored 17 points or more in nine-straight playoff games.
Sacramento hit a franchise-record eight threes in the opening quarter to stretch the lead to double-digits before a 27-20 second quarter saw the Warriors go into half-time with the lead.
Golden State kept threatening to pull away but the Kings continued to throw haymakers and cut the Warriors 12-point lead to one with five minutes to play.
Curry, Thompson, and Green all nailed decisive shots down the stretch as the Warriors finished atop the Kings to win their first road game of the series.
Both teams struggled from three – Golden State hit just 11-of-38 and Sacramento just 10-of-34 after a red-hot start.
The Warriors scored 19 points off 19 Kings turnovers and finished with 11 more assists.
For Sacramento, De’Aaron Fox – who played through a fractured finger in his shooting hand – finished with 24 points on 9-of-25 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and nine assists.
Domantas Sabonis added 21 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three blocks on 9-of-15 shooting whilst Malik Monk added 21 points and three assists off the bench.
The Warriors will have a chance to close out the series in front of their home fans on Saturday with the winner of this series facing off against the winner of Lakers-Grizzlies in the second round.
