Warriors Fall Down 0-2 For First Time Since 2007

For the first time in the Stephen Curry era, the Warriors have gone down 0-2 in a playoff series, losing to the Kings 114-106 on Monday night. Before Monday’s loss, the Warriors hadn’t lost consecutive playoff games since the 2019 NBA Finals.

Turnover Party EarlySimilarly to the series opener, turnovers plagued the Warriors early in Game 2. The Warriors had five turnovers within the game’s first four minutes, resulting in the first eight points for the Kings. Back-to-back dunks by Harrison Barnes and De’Aaron Fox off turnovers from the Splash Brothers gave the Kings an 8-7 lead. However, the Dubs subsequently went on a 9-0 run sparked by Draymond Green, who attacked the rim for a layup and hit a 3-pointer from the right corner. The Warriors (9) and Kings (9) combined for more turnovers (18) than made field goals (17) in the first quarter but the Dubs, forcing the Kings to miss their first 11 threes, ended the quarter with a six-point lead. Their three made triples compared to one for Sacramento was the difference. 

Dubs Struggle in Non-Curry MinutesThe Kings took the lid off the basket early in the second quarter, knocking down three of their first four 3-point attempts. Malik Monk made all three triples for the Kings and his back-to-back threes forced Steve Kerr to call an early timeout. Kerr also had to reinsert Stephen Curry into the game after the Kings went on a 16-4 run three minutes into his rest period. Nearly five minutes into the second quarter, the Kings already had more points (19) than they scored in the entire first quarter (17). 

Later in the second, the Warriors went small with Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton II in the frontcourt and it helped them get back in the game. They immediately went on a 14-4 run, tying the game at 52 after a Curry splash. However, the Kings would score six final points to close the quarter, leading by six. 

Foul Trouble In the ThirdLess than two minutes into the third quarter, the Warriors already found themselves over the foul limit, putting the Kings in the bonus for the remainder of the quarter. Draymond Green picked up his fourth foul and Kevon Looney picked up his fifth, forcing Steve Kerr to go deep into his bench. The Dubs rallied despite the foul trouble, closing the quarter on an 8-2 run to remain within striking distance.

Draymond Green Gets EjectedIn the fourth quarter, as Draymond Green tried to come down the court after getting the defensive stop, Domantas Sabonis grabbed his leg, preventing him from moving forward. In retaliation, Green stepped on the chest of Sabonis and was ejected from the game after receiving a flagrant foul penalty two. 

“My leg got grabbed. Second time in two nights,” Draymond Green said postgame on the incident.

Playoff MilestonesWith 28 points on Monday, Stephen Curry passed Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor for 18th on the NBA’s all-time playoff scoring list. Klay Thompson also moved to 34th in career playoff scoring, scoring 21 points. In addition, Draymond Green joined the Splash Brothers with a playoff milestone, passing former Warriors coach Mark Jackson for 20th on the career playoff assists list. 

Up NextThe Warriors will head home to Chase Center for Game 3 of their first round series vs. the Kings on Thursday at 7 p.m.