The Warriors defeated the Kings in Game 3 in Draymond Green's absence, averting an embarrassing losing streak with a score of 114-97. The Warriors are now trailing 2-1, but they are confident they can equalize in Game 4 on Sunday.
Despite not having defensive leader Green, the Warriors were very successful in challenging the Kings' offense. The Warriors players worked together to churn out 31 assists, the highest number of assists in three games in the series. And, the Warriors gave the Kings just 97 points, the first time the Kings had scored less than 100 points in the entire series. One has to wonder if the lack of Green has had a huge impact on the game.
Green was suspended for stepping on Mantas Sabonis, who could only watch the match on television. In his absence, the Warriors' defensive pressure increased, but the rest of the team performed very well. Starter Jordan Poole replaced Green, while substitutes Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga also excelled, totaling 19 points and five rebounds. Warriors star Stephen Curry was outstanding, scoring 36 points and six assists and responding tough on the defensive end.
The Kings have pushed the Warriors to the brink, but they missed out on the perfect 3-0 game in San Francisco. While the Warriors still have home-court advantage, their poor performance on home-and-away split this season has also raised some concerns.
The Warriors need to play aggressively offensively and steadily defensively to reverse the outcome. As the defending champions, the Warriors need to show the quality of the defending champions in the game to give the team the final victory. For the young Kings, they need to keep their morale and offensive enthusiasm high in order to score a key victory on the Warriors' home court. The series has become very intense and anticipation of Sunday's brace will be a decisive battle to upset all balances.