Justin Jackson broke out and Buddy Hield was hot from 3. Was it enough for the Kings?
The Kings came up short against the Golden State Warriors for the third time this season, this time losing 127-123 on Saturday night at Golden 1 Center.
The Kings have lost all those contests by a combined 10 points. Here are three takeaways from the game:
Jackson breaks out
Justin Jackson started half of the Kings’ games last season, even with spending a short stint in the G League.
This season, he’s been in the opening lineup just three times and there’s been a few rough games along the way.
That wasn’t the case for the second-year forward Saturday. Jackson had his best game in the NBA, finishing with career highs in points (28) on 10-of-14 shooting and 3-pointers (five).
He grabbed a rebound and scored a layup to pull the Kings within two late, but Sacramento (19-20) was forced to foul. Stephen Curry, who scored a game-high 42 points, nailed two free throws for the final margin.
“It sucks to lose any type of game, but especially a game we competed from the start to the end,” Jackson said. “They just hit a lot of shots. Credit to them for hitting all their shots, but we all played extremely hard and I think we really left it out there and that’s all that really matters for us.”
Going for three
Neither the Kings nor the Warriors are shy about shooting the 3. They entered Saturday’s game among the league’s most effective teams with the outside shot in terms of percentage.
It showed in this back-and-forth affair in which the lead changed hands 18 times.
Kings guard Buddy Hield connected on eight 3-pointers to set a career high en route to a 32-point night. However, the third-year guard took just one shot in the final period.
Curry hit 10 3s, including four in the fourth quarter.
Overall, the teams combined for 41 3s, an NBA record for a single game. The Kings also set a franchise high with 20 makes from the arc to eclipse the mark they set Dec. 12 in a victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“It’s right there for you to see, right? Everybody’s shooting 3s,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Just an incredible offensive display by both teams.”
The record for most 3s made by one team is 26, set last month by the Houston Rockets.
A rough final period
Through three quarters, the Kings were moving the ball fluidly and protecting it well. Sacramento entered the final period with 29 assists and just two turnovers, one fewer than the franchise low for a game set Dec. 8, 2002, in San Antonio.
However, the offense wasn’t as solid in the last 12 minutes.
The Kings had more turnovers (six) than assists (five) down the stretch, thanks in part to a ramped-up defensive effort by the Warriors.
While the final assist-to-turnover mark was stellar (34 to eight for a 4.25:1 ratio), the Warriors were able to force the Kings into enough costly errors en route to a 31-20 quarter to net their second win in Sacramento this season.
Kings coach Dave Joerger said games like these will help the team in the long run.
“It just forces you to focus and raise your level to a higher level individually, and as a team we’re continuing to learn,” Joerger said.
This story was originally published January 5, 2019 at 10:32 PM.