Malik Monk banked in a tough 13-footer with 7.4 seconds left, Stephen Curry was then harassed into an off-target 37-footer at the buzzer, and the Sacramento Kings won West Group C of the NBA in-season tournament Tuesday night with a 124-123 victory over the visiting Golden State Warriors.
The DeAaron Fox-fueled win allowed the Kings to finish group play 4-0 and advance to the tournament quarterfinals. Sacramento will play host to the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.
Curry and Andrew Wiggins matched Fox for game-high scoring honors with 29 points apiece for the Warriors, who could have forged a three-way tie atop the group with a win but instead finished 2-2 after losing Chris Paul and Gary Payton II to leg injuries during the game.
Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket during an NBA game against the Sacramento Kings in Sacramento, California, U.S., November 28, 2023. /CFP
Needing to win by at least 12 points to win a tiebreaker should there be a three-team logjam atop the group, Golden State led by as many as 24 but got outscored 69-51 in the second half.
The Warriors found out their point-differential predicament midway through the first quarter when it was announced that the Minnesota Timberwolves had beaten the Oklahoma City Thunder to improve to 3-1, meaning the best Golden State could do was force a three-way tie.
The Warriors initially responded well to the challenge, building a 24-point cushion in the second period before settling into a 72-55 halftime advantage after the Kings scored the final seven points of the second.
Seeking a third straight win over Sacramento this season, Golden State held a 123-118 advantage with 58.8 seconds left before a Fox free throw, a Curry turnover and a Malik Monk 3-pointer with 37.5 seconds left made it a one-point game.
An errant pass by Draymond Green, returning from a five-game suspension, opened the door for Monk's late heroics, which came under heavy defensive pressure from Wiggins.
Monk and Kevin Huerter backed Fox with 21 points apiece for the Kings, who were opening a four-game homestand. Harrison Barnes added 12 points and Trey Lyles 11, while Domantas Sabonis had a game-high 10 assists and eight rebounds to complement nine points.
Klay Thompson chipped in with 20 points for the Warriors, who lost for the eighth time in their last 10 games. Curry and Wiggins completed double-doubles with 10 rebounds apiece, while Moses Moody had 11 points and Dario Saric 10 off the Golden State bench.