Warriors-Kings 2023 NBA Playoffs Game 3: Key Storylines, Players, More

Keys storylines, players in Game 3 of Dubs-Kings series originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea

The Golden State Warriors find themselves heading back to Chase Center chasing a playoff series down 2-0.

It’s the first time in the Stephen Curry era the Dubs are in such a situation, but the Sacramento Kings got the job done at home in Games 1 and 2 in impressive fashion.

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De’Aaron Fox, the NBA’s first Clutch Player of the Year, Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk have been the catalysts for a Kings team that has dropped 126 and 114 points, respectively, despite poor shooting performances. Limiting Golden State to just 106 points in their Game 2 win also illustrated the Kings can deliver stalwart defensive performances when necessary.

But you can never count out the defending champions, and Golden State is now in a must-win situation with Game 3 looming on Thursday. Let’s dissect the key storylines, players and more ahead of what should be an enthralling affair:

Key storylines

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Must-win for the Dubs: No NBA team has ever overcome a 3-0 series deficit in the playoffs. That should be enough motivation for the defending champions who have yet to resemble it for large stretches this year. The Chase Center crowd will need to replicate the energy seen at Golden 1 Center to ignite a potential series comeback.

Road warriors: No, that doesn’t apply to Golden State ahead of Game 3. The Kings tied for the second-best road record in the league this year at 25-16, one win behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the top spot. It’s also better than their 23-18 record at home, so the Warriors, who posted a feeble 11-30 road record this year, need to be wary that Sacramento’s style is sustainable away from Golden 1 Center. The Warriors are 33-8 at home, third-best in the league, so they can’t drop one knowing the environment that would await them in Sacramento for Game 5.

No Draymond down low: Kevon Looney has been handed the Domantas Sabonis assignment for most of the opening games, but one stomp has yielded a new factor for either side. In what has already proven to be a physical paint battle, how does the stomp incident psychologically influence both teams? Can it fuel a Warriors side low on gas? Or do the Kings add it as bulletin-board material for the underdog stories they’ve headlined despite being a No. 3 seed?

Players to watch

Jordan Poole, Warriors: Poole may be playing with a foot injury, but he’s not exhibiting the signs of a player who got paid $128 million this past summer. His shots are not falling, his passes have been sloppy and the general clumsiness has extended to the defensive side, where he’s not matching his teammates’ flow. Golden State needs him to provide what he did last year if they hope to come back, so Game 3 will be telling.

Keegan Murray, Kings: Sacramento’s No. 4 overall pick this year and starting forward has played just 16 minutes apiece in both games and scored just two points in each. His 12.2 points per game, which included a 41.1% 3-point clip on 6.3 attempts per game, from the regular season haven’t been missed yet, but the Kings need him to find a rhythm sooner rather than later to bolster their chances.

Kevon Looney, Warriors: With Green suspended for Game 3, the Warriors have to get creative. Looney has been the primary assignment, as aforementioned, but Game 2 saw him fall into foul trouble that hindered their defensive pressure down low. They don’t have other bigs who can step in and match up against Sabonis and Co. in short stints, so Looney will need to be more careful and play more than the 23 minutes he did last time out.

Davion Mitchell, Kings: Tracking Mitchell from his winning days at Baylor foreshadowed the impact he could make in a playoff atmosphere. Curry has proven time and time again he’ll get his numbers -- you just have to find a way to reduce his impact. Matthew Dellavedova is one guard Sacramento can call upon, but his injury has seen Mitchell get the type of assignment he was born for. His minutes lately have been extremely productive, and it’s a bonus that he’s hitting key 3-pointers with Golden State happy to sag off of him given his 32% clip from deep.