LOS ANGELES (AFP) – The Sacramento Kings defeated the Golden State Warriors, 114-106, to take a 2-0 lead over the NBA champions after a bruising Game 2 in their best-of-seven Western Conference playoff series on Monday.
After edging a thrilling game one on Saturday, the Kings once again proved too much for the Warriors in another pulsating postseason battle between the two Northern Californian rivals in Sacramento.
De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis led the Sacramento scoring with 24 points apiece in a stormy encounter that saw Warriors stalwart Draymond Green ejected after stamping on the chest of Sabonis in the fourth quarter.
The victory leaves the Kings on pole position as the series heads to San Francisco for Game 3 on Thursday.
In Monday’s other playoff game, Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points as the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 96-84, to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference series.
Maxey’s haul from 13-of-23 shooting included six from three-point range as Brooklyn finally succumbed after making a bright start that saw them lead by 10 points in the second quarter.
Sabonis was reluctant to be drawn on the explosive fourth-quarter tangle with Green that led to the Warriors veteran being tossed.
Green was ejected after appearing to aim a stamp on Sabonis’s chest as the Kings player held on to his ankle as he lay on the court.
Steph Curry led the Warriors scoring with 28 points while Andrew Wiggins finished with 22 and Klay Thompson 21.
However the Warriors were left ruing a litany of 20 turnovers that gave up cheap points to Sacramento, who led from early in the second quarter.
Golden State clawed their way back from a 14-point third-quarter deficit to tie it at 93-93 midway through the fourth.
But Sacramento responded to pull clear down the stretch and close out a gutsy win.
Brooklyn were left ruing their inability to make the most of their first-half dominance against a sluggish-looking Sixers, who nevertheless restricted the Nets to just a five-point advantage as the teams went in for half-time at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center.
Philadelphia’s adjustments paid dividends in the third and fourth quarters, with the Sixers outscoring Brooklyn 24-14 in the third before wrapping up victory in the fourth.
Joel Embiid, double-teamed throughout, finished with 20 points and 19 rebounds while laying on seven assists as Maxey and Tobias Harris (20 points) shouldered the offensive responsibilities.
“He trusts in me, and he trusts in Tobias to make the big shots tonight, and that’s what we did,” Maxey said of Embiid’s selfless performance.
Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers admitted his team had been lucky to face only a five-point deficit heading into half-time.
