Warriors forward Draymond Green (right) and Sacramento Kings center Alex Len fight for a rebound in the second half of Game 4 at Chase Center on Sunday.
Stephen Lam/The ChronicleThe Sporting Green staff weighs in on five pressing questions ahead of theGolden State Warriorsand Sacramento Kings meetingin Game 5 of their first-round series Wednesday at Golden 1 Center.
What has surprised you the most about this series so far?
Ann Killion, columnist:The Kings’ resiliency. There was no letdown after their HUGE Game 1 win and they battled back strong in Game 4. We knew they would be well coached (hello, Mike Brown), but for a team with virtually no playoff experience, their composure in big moments has been super impressive.
Ron Kroichick, staff writer:The bravado of the Kings. They play with an unmistakable edge, exactly how a team needs to play to prosper in the postseason. Sacramento might have shown a little stage fright in Game 3, but that moment passed. If the Warriors advance, they will have to match the Kings’ feistiness.
Connor Letourneau, staff writer:There have been so many surprises in this series, but I’m personally shocked that Kings center Alex Len has been such a difference-maker. A backup big man who barely played during the regular season has been a plus-26 in 40 minutes through the series’ first four games. Sacramento head coach Mike Brown deserves a lot of credit for that strategic wrinkle.
Scott Ostler, columnist:The Kings’ lack of playoff experience is killing the Warriors. Big-game DNA was supposed to be a huge advantage for the W’s, but the Kings’ childlike enthusiasm and refusal to melt in the spotlight have been fun to watch. Those Kings discovered the secret: It’s just basketball.
De’Aaron Fox is listed as questionable because of a fractured index finger on his shooting hand. Can the Kings win this series without him at 100%?
Killion:I don’t think so. I’m a big believer in Mike Brown’s ability to adjust, but Fox is the engine of the Kings. (I laugh when Kings fans chant “MVP” when Domantas Sabonis or Fox is at the FT line … um, no.) If he can’t play, it’s a shame because this has been a breakthrough showcase for Fox.
Kroichick:不。每个好季后赛球队都有一个特别的player immune to strong defense — i.e. Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Joel Embiid. Fox obviously is that player for the Kings. The Warriors can figure out ways to contain Sacramento’s other players.
Letourneau:It depends on how close to 100% he is. We’ve seen other star players play through broken fingers in the playoffs and still deliver big performances. But if it’s bothering Fox to the point where he struggles to shoot, the Kings are doomed. They need him at or near his best to have a chance.
Ostler:LOL and sad sigh. No.
After missing Game 3 because of a suspension, Draymond Green voluntarily came off the bench in Game 4 and drew Fox as his defensive assignment in the second half, playing a key part in the Warriors tying the series. How does the rest of the series unfold for Green?
Killion:I wouldn’t be surprised if he comes off the bench again in Game 5 — he’s the one who said, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” But starting or off the bench, he will play a key role in the Warriors’ fortunes. And he’s made a whole new set of enemies in Kings fans.
Kroichick:Green tends to raise his game when his team needs him most. He might continue to have trouble finishing at the rim, as he did in Game 4, but Green’s defense and passing will fuel the Warriors the rest of the series. He’s also good (bad?) for at least one or two more technical fouls.
Letourneau:I expect Green to continue coming off the bench. Why mess with something that’s working? But regardless of whether he starts, he should continue being a force. Green’s defensive versatility, in particular, is paramount against a Kings team with plenty of scoring options.
Ostler:Green knows his butt, rep and his future with Warriors are on the line. He will play at full throttle. Only problem: In a key moment, he will get T’d-up, or worse.
Who’s winning the fan matchup? The crazed, new-to-the-playoffs Kings fans, or the “It’s-called-the-Warriors-Invitational-for-a-reason” Warriors fans?
Killion:国王的球迷。在游戏中1和2,they brought the kind of newbie raucous joy that was reminiscent of “We Believe.” They also managed to infiltrate Chase Center better than Warriors fans could impact Golden 1. That being said, after late-arriving for Game 3 and forcing Stephen Curry to pump them up, the Chase fans were locked in in Game 4. And when Harrison Barnes’ final shot missed, that was as loud as I’ve ever heard Chase.
Kroichick:Kings fans, but not by much. Both home crowds have provided a huge boost for their teams, as they should at this stage of the season. Sacramento’s crowd brings a distinctive, giddy, wide-eyed exuberance, a byproduct of the Kings’ playoff drought and the city’s thirst to take down its bigger, more glamorous Northern California neighbor.
Letourneau:我很抱歉如果这冒犯了我们的一些读者,但是the Kings’ fans have been way more raucous than the Warriors’ fans. The scene inside Golden 1 Center at the start of Game 1 might have been the loudest I’ve ever seen, and I’ve covered five NBA Finals. Meanwhile, there were still a lot of empty seats at Chase Center during tip-off of Games 3 and 4.
Ostler:Close, but Kings’ fans win the tiebreaker. The Warriors’ so-called fans in the very expensive seats at Chase arrive fashionably late, then chill for the first half of every third quarter in their tequila bunkers. I understand. It’s not polite to bolt your caviar.
Now that we’re midway through the first round, give us your latest prediction for how these playoffs end for the Warriors.
Killion:I think the Warriors win this series, but it is going to take so much out of an aging team. If they face the Lakers, it will be ratings gold for the NBA, so that series might somehow be manipulated into a long one. That’s a lot of games. I can see the Warriors getting bounced in the Western Conference finals. Good news, Warriors fans: That was my prediction last year as well.
Kroichick:I’ll stick with my pre-series prediction of Warriors over the Kings in six. As for the rest of the playoffs, the Warriors’ remarkable run of making the Finals in every playoff appearance under Steve Kerr will end — if not in the conference semifinals (likely against the Lakers), then in the conference finals (probably Phoenix).
Letourneau:Golden State should win Game 5 if Fox isn’t 100%, then close things out in Game 6 at Chase Center. Based on what we’ve seen from these playoffs, I have confidence the Warriors can win the title. It feels like everything is coming together for them at just the right time.
Ostler:Warriors win this series in seven (home team loses each of the next 3 games), beat the hated Grizzlies in the next round in seven, and lose West finals in seven.
