Kings put defending-champion Warriors in 2-0 series hole

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — De’Aaron Fox scored 24 points and made a backbreaking 3-pointer that led the playoff newcomer Sacramento Kings to a second straight victory over the defending champion Golden State Warriors, 114-106 on Monday night.

The Kings closed the game strong after Golden State’s Draymond Green was ejected for a flagrant foul and became the first team to take a 2-0 series lead over the Warriors in the Stephen Curry era.

The Warriors will try to get back into the series when it shifts less than 90 miles southwest to San Francisco for Game 3 on Thursday night.

The game got heated in the fourth quarter when Green stomped on Domantas Sabonis’ chest with 7:03 to play, leading to an ejection for a flagrant foul.

During the review, the fans in Sacramento yelled derogatory chants toward Green, who egged them on by waving his hands, holding a hand to his ear calling for louder cheers and standing on a chair.

The Warriors fought back to tie the game before the Kings went on a 17-8 run to run away with it to the delight of the towel-waving crowd.


De'Aaron Fox of the Kings skies to the basket in Game 2 against the Warriors.
De’Aaron Fox of the Kings skies to the basket in Game 2 against the Warriors.
NBAE via Getty Images

Fox’s 3-pointer made it 107-101 with 2:17 to play and the Kings were in control from there.

Davion Mitchell put it away with another 3 that made it 112-103 with 1:18 left.

Sabonis added 24 points for Sacramento and Malik Monk scored 18 off the bench.

Curry led the Warriors with 28 points but made just 3 of 13 from 3-point range as Golden State struggled to get going offensively.

The Warriors committed 22 turnovers.

The crowd in success-starved Sacramento didn’t quite hit the fever pitch of the opener when the fans celebrated the franchise’s first playoff game following a record drought of 16 seasons.

The fans started to get into it in the second quarter thanks to another spark off the bench from Monk, who scored 32 points in the opener.


 Domantas Sabonis (10) congratulates guard Davion Mitchell (15) in the first half
AP

Monk hit three 3-pointers in the first 2:04 of the period to help fuel a 23-8 run that turned a six-point deficit into a nine-point lead.

Golden State fought back and tied it on a 3 by Curry before allowing the final six points of the quarter to trail 58-52 at the half.

The Kings built the lead to 14 points in the third quarter before the Warriors scored eight in a row. Sacramento led 83-75 headed to the fourth.

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