The Golden State Warriors took on the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center Wednesday night in the Finale of the 6th Annual California Classic. Golden State was looking to complete a 3-0 start to this summer league campaign, while the Kings were looking to shake off a tough defeat to the Heat on Sunday. The winner of the game was to receive the first-ever “Mitch Richmond Trophy” for winning the battle of NorCal.
The big story coming into this game was the return of 2nd-year players Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Warriors lineup. Podz and TJD over the past week were taking part in Team USA practice. They were not able to suit up for the Warriors in either of their first two California Classic matchups over the weekend. The arena was buzzing when each was introduced in starting lineups. They are each expected to play a big part for the Golden State Warriors next season.
The Kings have had two squads for this California Classic, with the A team playing in Sacramento this weekend. The A team led by Keon Ellis made the hour-long drive to SF to play Wednesday’s game.
Warriors Finish Off Perfect 3-0 California Classic
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Podziemski and Jackson-Davis made their presence known early on Wednesday night. The first two buckets of the game were from JD and Podz and the Warriors rolled to a big halftime lead. The Kings flipped the switch in the 3rd quarter and tied the game with 25 seconds to go in the 4th. Brandin Podziemski hit a go-ahead free throw with five seconds and the Keon Ellis heave at the buzzer was no good to give Golden State a 91-90 win. They finished the week 3-0 and secured the Mitch Richmond Trophy.
A player for the Dubs that impressed all week was Ethan Thompson. He had another solid game today with 13 points. Kevin Knox added 21 of his own. Something cool about these summer league games is you get to see players you normally wouldn’t. They should continue to have these California Classics in addition to the other events.
The Warriors have to be thrilled with all the contributions they had over these three wins. Now they look to continue that in Las Vegas next week.
Kings Fall Just Short In Finale
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The Kings looked dead in the water down 59-38 at halftime. The former member of the Alabama Crimson Tide, Keon Ellis, wouldn’t let them go down without a fight. Sacramento came out firing in the third quarter to cut the lead to two, late in the third. From there, it appeared the Warriors seized control and got the lead back up to double digits early in the fourth. But the Kings fought back again.
Ellis was on fire all night and finished with 30 points. The Kings tied the game up with a Mason Jones and one layup with 25 seconds left. Then on the ensuing Warriors possession, Keon Ellis fouled Podziemski near half court with the Warriors in the bonus with five seconds to go. Podz made the 1st free throw then missed the 2nd. The Kings got the board and got the ball to Ellis who missed the long three-pointer at the buzzer.
The biggest bright spot for Sacramento is no doubt, Keon Ellis. He showed promise in the NBA last year and looks to keep that rolling as we head into next season. For college hoops lovers, it was a great sight to see Drew Timme getting some buckets out there with 13 points. Overall, there is a lot of positivity coming out of this for the Kings.
About the Author
Cory is an Oregon Duck alumni from the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been playing, watching, and following basketball + baseball his whole life. He has recently been covering NBA, College Basketball, and MLB. Follow Cory on X @cory_pappas1 for more breaking stories and game previews.
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