‘We’re coming home!’ Fans go berserk at Golden 1 as Kings force Game 7, light the beam

Sacramento lived to light the beam one more time.

The Kings stared down the Golden State Warriors, 118-99, at Chase Center in San Francisco as a dancing, drumming, cow-belling Golden 1 Center crowd erupted during a Friday watch party that promised to go well into the night.

There will be a Game 7. There will be a Game 7.

The faithful, Sacramento-proud, filled Golden 1 Center on Friday evening for a do-or-die Game 6 down the road with the Sacramento Kings’ season at stake.

The Kings, down 3-2 in this best-of-seven series after Wednesday’s 123-116 home-court heartbreaker, were forced back to the Bay to salvage a season and push the series against the defending champions to a deciding Game 7. And at the Kings’ watch party inside Golden 1, a roaring, cowbell-clanging crowd hoped to light the beam one more time.

“The most beautiful fan base in the NBA. Look at all that purple,” the voice boomed over the P.A. system. “Who’s ready for Kings basketball? This is it!”

The Kings didn’t disappoint in the early going, ripping off an 8-0 run to open the game, never looking back.

They cheered every De’Aaron Fox drive to the rim. Boos thundered down with every camera glance at the hated Draymond Green.

Harrison Barnes, then Domantas Sabonis and — finally from distance before Steve Kerr called a quick timeout at the 9:19 mark — “Keeee-gan! Murrrr-ay!”

Sacramento, in a do-or-die Game 6, was feeling its roar.

Kings 58-51 at the half, how we doing?

“I was sitting right here for Game 5,” Michael Long said pointing to his row from the concourse. “I have hope and confidence that we’re going to come back for Game 7.”

“It’s a big relief from last time, seeing how they’re coming back,” said Jose Estrella of Sacramento with friend Long. “But it’s not over.”

Far from it, with a bruised and battered Sabonis picking up a fifth foul with just under seven minutes to play in the third quarter, and a Kings team clinging to a 9-point lead.

Then: Malik. Monk. Corner. 84-73. The crowd went berserk.

It was the loudest roar of the night at the downtown arena.

Kings up 90-80 to start the fourth quarter, fans feeling the roar with every possession, not ready to call this season a day.

Down the road in San Francisco, the Kings weren’t either. Kevin Huerter’s bomb, then another from Fox and the roar grew louder: 112-96.

With every shot down the stretch, the delirious faithful allowed themselves to believe as the Kings stretched their lead to a series-high 17 points.

“Game 7. Game 7. We’re coming back home and we’re going to the second round,” said Vic Ly, who passed the ball to friend Kou Cha, who shouted without hesitation: “We’re coming home to Sacramento!”

This story was originally published April 28, 2023 at 8:37 PM.

Darrell Smith

The Sacramento Bee

916-321-1040

Darrell Smith is a local reporter for The Sacramento Bee. He joined The Bee in 2006 and previously worked at newspapers in Palm Springs, Colorado Springs and Marysville. Smith was born and raised at Beale Air Force Base and lives in Elk Grove.