Injured Warriors plays short, loses to Kings

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Sunday, March 18, 2018
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OAKLAND, California – Buddy Hield made three free throws over the final 27.5 seconds, Willie Cauley-Stein had a late dunk and the Sacramento Kings won for the second time this season on Golden State’s home floor, beating a Warriors team missing its top three scorers 98-93 on Friday night.

Hield finished with 22 points off the bench. He also had seven assists and seven rebounds.

Quinn Cook scored a career-high 25 points on 10-for-13 shooting for Golden State, making his initial seven shots and also hitting a career-best five 3-pointers after Kevin Durant was lost to a broken rib in a discouraging pregame announcement for the defending champions.

Draymond Green returned from a one-game injury absence to produce 14 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, four steals, and two blocked shots.

Hield made one free throw with 27.5 seconds left and then two more with 13.2 seconds remaining as the Kings withstood a frantic final minute after the teams entered the final quarter tied at 75. Sacramento also won at Oracle Arena on Nov. 27.

Before the game, NBA Finals MVP Durant became the latest Warriors star to go down. Then Golden State lost reserve Omri Casspi to an ankle injury early in the game.

Durant will miss at least two weeks with a fractured rib on the right side, joining fellow All-Stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on the injury list for the Warriors.

An MRI exam Friday revealed Durant’s injury and he will be reevaluated in two weeks.

Durant said there’s still time for the team to heal and get ready for the playoffs. He missed 18 games in 2017 before returning for the final two contests of the regular season.

“No concern. I’ve got a couple weeks and I’m just trying to get healthy, and I’m just trying to make sure I’m out there being able to be me on the court,” Durant said. “That’s the most important thing. It’s not great timing-wise, obviously. It’s all about just feeling better when I’m out there playing.”

Cook scored 13 in the first quarter as the Warriors jumped out to a nice lead, but they held just a 59-57 edge at halftime.

Both teams played the first of back-to-back games. (AP)
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