The Bench Closed This One, and That Says More Than the Score
Golden State's reserves decided a tight preseason win over Sacramento, and the lineup Kerr trusted to close tells you where this roster's depth really sits.
The Warriors beat the Kings 111-106 in a back-and-forth preseason game that saw twelve lead changes and nine ties. Yaxel Lendeborg and Brandon Williams powered the offense off the bench, and a non-starter group closed the fourth quarter instead of Golden State's regular starters.
A Tight Game, Decided by the Second Unit
Sacramento and Golden State traded the lead twelve times and were tied nine times before the Warriors' closing group pulled away. Golden State's biggest lead was eight points, Sacramento's was four, so neither team controlled the game until the end. Kerr sent out Charles Bassey, De'Anthony Melton, Payton II, Georges Niang and Gui Santos for the final five minutes, not the regular starting five. In the fourth quarter, Niang scored six points, Brandon Williams two and Brandin Podziemski two, enough to hold off a Sacramento group of Daeqwon Plowden, Emanuel Sharp, Jonathan Mogbo, Leaky Black and Nique Clifford.
Lendeborg and Williams Carried the Offense
Yaxel Lendeborg had his best game of the preseason: 23 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, 10-of-14 shooting and a plus-18 in 24 minutes. Brandon Williams matched him for punch off the bench, scoring 19 on 7-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-2 from three, for a plus-12 in 17 minutes. Stephen Curry played just 14 minutes, going 3-of-6 with two threes for eight points, a sign this was still a preseason workload rather than a normal Curry night.
Grades
Lendeborg: A. His line matched his plus-minus, and it came with two steals and a block attempt. Brandin Podziemski: A-minus, with 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists on 4-of-9 shooting, three threes, and a plus-18 in 26 minutes, a performance that landed a day after ESPN's Anthony Slater reported the Warriors agreed to a five-year, $110 million extension with him. Georges Niang and Al Horford get incompletes: Niang made 2 of 3 shots and both his threes for eight points but finished minus-16, and Horford was 1-of-9 from the field for four points and a minus-5 in 21 minutes.
What This Preseason Win Does Not Change
This was a preseason game, so it does not touch Golden State's actual record, which stays at 0-0 until the regular season opens against the Lakers on October 21. What it does show is how Kerr is using training camp: with Jimmy Butler sidelined until January, plus Moses Moody out until December, the group that closed against Sacramento is getting real minutes to prove it belongs in the regular rotation. The next test comes in three days, on the road against the Lakers.
How many minutes did Stephen Curry play against the Kings?
Curry played 14 minutes, finishing with eight points on 3-of-6 shooting with two threes, a preseason workload rather than a full outing.
Does the win over the Kings count toward the Warriors' record?
No. It was a preseason game, so Golden State's record stays at 0-0 heading into the regular-season opener on October 21 against the Lakers.
