Ejected: Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr gets tossed in 111-98 loss to Kings
The Golden State Warriors didn’t have Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, D’Angelo Russell or even Kevon Looney. By the end of the night, they didn’t have coach Steve Kerr either.
Kerr was ejected in the second quarter of a 111-98 loss to the Kings on Monday night at Golden 1 Center. Kerr was incensed because he believed Warriors center Willie Cauley-Stein was fouled on a driving layup and because he felt officials missed a traveling call on the previous play.
Kerr stormed onto the court, launched into a brief profanity-laced tirade and then left the floor, slapping hands with his players as he made his way back to the locker room. He didn’t miss much.
Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox scored 21 points apiece for the Kings (14-23), who will visit the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. Harrison Barnes and Trevor Ariza each finished with 18 points.
Glenn Robinson III scored 16 points to lead the Warriors (9-29), who have been decimated by injuries this season. Erica Paschall had 12 points. Cauley-Stein, playing in Sacramento for the first time since signing with the Warriors, finished with eight points, nine rebounds and five assists. He was also whistled for a technical foul with 6:42 remaining in the third quarter.
The Kings went up by nine in the opening period and extended their lead to 16 in the second quarter. They led 52-40 at the halftime break after shooting 47.6 percent while holding the Warriors to 35.6-percent shooting from the field and 0-of-13 shooting from 3-point range.
The Kings continued to pour it on in the second half. They started the third quarter with an 11-2 run to take a 62-42 lead on a 3-pointer by Harrison Barnes. They went up by 31 points on a layup by Hield late in the third and maintained a comfortable lead throughout the fourth.
Kings center Richaun Holmes left the game due to a right shoulder injury with 7:25 to play in the third quarter and did not return. He said he was sore after the game, but he didn’t believe the injury was serious. Kings coach Luke Walton said Holmes would travel with the team to Phoenix, but it was not yet known whether he would be able to play.
Still shorthanded
Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic missed his second game in a row while dealing with right ankle soreness and the flu. Forward Marvin Bagley III missed his sixth consecutive game with a midfoot sprain. Both players reported they were feeling much better before the game, although it’s still unclear when they will return.
Bogdanovic has missed a total of seven games this season. The Kings had not won a game without him until Monday.
Bagley previously missed 22 games with a broken thumb. He has appeared in only nine games this season, averaging 13.7 points and 6.9 rebounds.
Welcome back, Willie
Warriors center Willie Cauley-Stein was feeling nostalgic as he made his way through the arena before the game.
Cauley-Stein spent his first four seasons with the Kings, who selected him with the sixth pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, before signing with the Warriors as a free agent last summer. Cauley-Stein said it was good to see friends and former teammates. He even commented on the familiar smell of the popcorn inside Golden 1 Center.
“I was here for four years,” Cauley-Stein said. “This is pretty much home to me now, so this is a little bit of a homecoming for sure.”
Welcome back, Bibby
Cauley-Stein wasn’t the only former King in the building. Kings legend Mike Bibby attended the game and received a huge ovation when he was introduced before the start of the second quarter.
Bibby spent seven seasons with the Kings during the height of their playoff success in the 2000s, averaging 17.6 points and 5.4 assists in 476 games for Sacramento. Bibby was the starting point guard for the team that lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games in the 2002 Western Conference Finals.
Bibby, who is much more muscular than he was during his playing days, shared stories and laughs with former teammates Bobby Jackson and Doug Christie on the court before the game.
Injury report
Warriors: OUT — Stephen Curry (hand), Klay Thompson (ACL), Draymond Green (ankle), D’Angelo Russell (shoulder contusion), Kevon Looney (abdominal soreness).
Kings: OUT — Marvin Bagley III (foot), Bogdan Bogdanovic (ankle/flu), Dewayne Dedmon (coach’s decision).
Kings upcoming schedule
Jan. 6 vs. Golden State, 7 p.m.
Jan. 7 at Phoenix, 6 p.m.
Jan. 10 vs. Milwaukee, 7 p.m.
Jan. 13 vs. Orlando, 7 p.m.
Jan. 15 vs. Dallas Mavericks
Jan. 18 at Utah, 6 p.m.
This story was originally published January 6, 2020 at 9:24 PM.
