The NBA announced that Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green would be suspended one game for stepping on Kings forward Domantas Sabonis in Game 2 of the teams’ first-round Western Conference matchup. With Green out and the Warriors down 2-0 in the series, the team will now turn to Kevon Looney to support stars Steph Curry and Klay Thompson as they look to come back in Game 3.
“Everybody’s locked in, our level of focus has raised, our back’s against the wall so we have to go out there and play with a level of focus we haven’t played with all year,” Looney said after practice Wednesday. “I think we’re ready and I think we’re excited.”
In the first two games of their first-round playoff game, the Warriors have been struck by a wave of historic momentum, as the Kings have enjoyed a pair of rabid home crowds at the Golden 1 Center. Sacramento fans, who have not seen the team make a playoff run in 17 years, have propelled the Kings to two straight wins against the defending NBA champions.
On the floor, Curry and Thompson have been effective while key contributor Andrew Wiggins has done his part as well. But injury and performance concerns surrounding guard Jordan Poole proved to be a setback in Game 2, and Green’s suspensions will only make matters worse for Golden State.
Players like Looney, a six-foot-nine bench player capable of playing center and power forward, will need to provide size in the paint to counter Sabonis while giving the team’s army of shooters space at the perimeter. He will lead a group of players that coach Steve Kerr plans to cycle through in an effort to compete with a weakened roster.
“It’s more than likely going to be a game where we play a lot of people and we just have to put our best foot forward,” Kerr said after practice. “I believe in our guys. I have no doubt we can go out there and get this done.”
While Golden State has struggled to band together on the road, the Kings have performed incredibly well to earn their lead in the series. De’Aaron Fox and Sabonis have been extremely effective around the perimeter and down low, respectively, with Fox turning in a particularly strong 38-point performance in Game 1. Meanwhile, shooting guard Malik Monk has been a revelation for the team, scoring 50 points combined early in the series.
