Warriors 98, Kings 87
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Klay Thompson poured in 27 points and the Golden State defense limited the Sacramento Kings to 31.7 percent shooting from the field in a runaway first half as the Warriors rolled to a 98-87 victory on Saturday night.
The Kings missed their first five shots of the game and Stephen Curry highlighted two seven-point flurries with 3-pointers as the Warriors opened a 22-12 lead in the eighth minute and never looked back.
The win was the Warriors' second consecutive home blowout after a 125-94 drubbing of the Los Angeles Lakers in the home opener on Wednesday. Thompson had 38 points in that game.
Curry scored his 5,000th career point on 3-pointer with 3:11 remaining in the first half, capping an 8-0 Warriors run that gave them their biggest lead of the game to that point at 44-26.
A 3-pointer by Thompson 65 seconds later made it a 21-point game, and the Warriors went into the halftime break with a commanding 56-36 advantage.
The Kings, who averaged 103.3 points in winning three of four from the Warriors last season, missed 28 of their 41 shots from the field in the first half. Sacramento's starters were just 6-for-21 and totaled 14 points, one more than rookie reserve Ben McLemore, whose 13 points included a 56-foot buzzer-beater at the end of the first quarter.
The Kings made one push in the second half, closing to 56-44 when DeMarcus Cousins, held to two points in the first half, converted consecutive three-point plays in an eight-point spurt to open the third quarter.
But the Warriors immediately countered with a game-breaking 15-0 run of their own. Thompson triggered the flurry with two 3's and Curry capped it with a 3-pointer of his own. Andrew Bogut and Andre Iguodala contributed dunks.
The Kings didn't get closer than 16 after that until the benched had cleared in the final minutes.
Thompson's 27 points came on 10-of-17 shooting from the field. Curry dropped in five 3's during a 22-point, 12-assist night, and David Lee had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
McLemore scored 19 points for the Kings, who were playing their second game in two nights. Fellow reserves Travis Outlaw (15 points, 12 rebounds) and Jason Thompson (12 points, 10 rebounds) posted double-doubles.
Isaiah Thomas, who ranked eighth in the league in field-goal percentage entering the game at 63.6 percent, shot just 2 of 10 and finished with 12 points. Cousins, the Kings' leading scorer through two games with a 27.0 average, was held to eight points.
The Kings shot 34.5 percent from the field for the game.
NOTES: The Warriors debuted white short-sleeve uniforms that they will wear in all six of their Saturday night home games this season. Asked before the game if the northern California neighbors, separated by 90 miles, are rivals, Warriors coach Mark Jackson chuckled and said, "Red Sox-Yankees is a rivalry. Ali-Frazier was a rivalry. No, neither of us has done anything." ... Kings coach Mike Malone was a Warriors assistant last season. Asked if that knowledge of the Warriors could help him as a rival coach, he noted, "I can't go out there and play. Our guys have to go out there and do it." ... After praising Malone for the role he played in Golden State's success last season, Jackson assured, "Just like as a player, when the ball goes up, I'm coming for you and I certainly expect you to feel the same way." ... Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (inflamed toe) participated in the team's afternoon shootaround but then missed his third consecutive game. He will be with the team on its four-game trip that tips off Monday in Philadelphia, although Jackson would not commit to whether he'll play. ... Warriors backup center Jermaine O'Neal missed the game with a sore right foot.
