The Sacramento Kings couldn’t finish the job against the reigning NBA champions Golden State Warriors, after all. The Warriors got a comfortable 120-100 win in Game 7 on Sunday night, closing out the first-round series and eliminating the Kings from the playoffs.
The Warriors were led to the win by their superstar Stephen Curry, who delivered a performance for the history books. Curry scored 50 points, setting the record for most points by a player in Game 7 in NBA playoffs history. The previous record was held by Curry’s former teammate Kevin Durant, who had 48 while playing for the Brooklyn Nets against the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals.
Curry finished the night shooting 20-of-38 while making seven three out of 18 attempts. He also added eight rebounds and seven assists.
“There is a reason he is a two-time MVP, a Finals MVP because he pushes us over the top in moments like this,” said Curry’s teammate Klay Thompson. “When he’s in the zone like that, you try to just get him in his spots, get him the ball and get out of the way. This is a Game 7 I will forever remember as the Steph Curry game.”
The Warriors are now set to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round. The Lakers previously ousted the Memphis Grizzlies in six games.
The Kings, on the other hand, can feel good about their season despite the early elimination. They have played in the postseason for the first time in 17 years and have shown that they can compete against the best teams in the league by pushing the reigning NBA champs to seven games.
