The Kings enjoyed a big win over the Warriors on Saturday night, taking down the defending champions, 126-123, in their first playoff game in 17 years. De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk led the way, as the duo combined for 70 points in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.
After the game, Warriors forward Draymond Green went on his podcast to discuss the loss in Sacramento, and although he gave both Fox and Monk credit, he said Golden State needs to do a better job limiting both players, especially Monk.
“De’Aaron Fox may get 38 points, but you can’t give up 32 to Malik Monk off the bench,” Green said. “Now, Malik’s an incredible player. He was 2for–4 from three so it wasn’t the three-point line, but he got downhill and put a lot of pressure on our defense.”
"De'Aaron Fox may get 38 points, but you can't give up 32 to Malik Monk"
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) April 16, 2023
—@Money23Green reacts to the Warriors Game 1 loss to the Kings pic.twitter.com/ynchhF2KA4
A lot of Monk’s success came at the free throw line, as he was 14–for-14, leading both teams in free throw attempts and makes. Fox, meanwhile, went 4-for-8 from three after averaging 1.6 makes on 5.0 three-point attempts during the regular season.
Green argued that while he believes the Warriors played well enough to win Saturday, defensive lapses and rebounding issues cost them. He also credited Sacramento power forward Trey Lyles, who scored 16 points in 18 minutes off the bench, for sparking the Kings.
Given the Warriors’ championship experience, they are unlikely to panic over a single loss. However, they need to figure out a way to slow down the Kings’ backcourt and find consistent scoring from anyone other than Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Sixth-seeded Golden State plays at third-seeded Sacramento on Monday at 10 p.m. ET in Game 2 of the series.
