Warriors vs. Kings Preview & Predictions

The Warriors bounced back after the Memphis Grizzlies ended their 16-game winning streak last week, holding off the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 114-109 victory on Thursday. On Monday night, the Sacramento Kings will make the trip down to Oracle, and the Warriors will have to stay focused against their local rivals if they want to get a new winning streak started.

Projected Starting Lineups

Warriors (22-3):

G Stephen Curry (23.9 PPG, 7.6 APG, 5.3 RPG)

G Klay Thompson (21.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG)

F Harrison Barnes (11.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG)

F Draymond Green (13.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG)

C Festus Ezeli, (3.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG)

Kings (12-15):

G Darren Collison (15.6 PPG, 6.1 APG)

G Ben McLemore (12.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG)

F Rudy Gay (21.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG)

F Jason Thompson (5.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG)

C DeMarcus Cousins (23.7 PPG, 12.5 RPG)

What To Watch For:

The Return of David Lee

The Warriors PF is expected to return from a hamstring injury that's limited him to just seven minutes so far this season. He likely won't see extended playing time, but it'll be interesting to see how he keeps up with the younger, physical Kings players after spending so long on the sidelines.

Can The Kings Keep Up?

The Warriors ran Sacramento off the floor in the first meeting between these two teams (a 95-77 Golden State win on opening night), and the Kings will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back while the Warriors have had three full rest days since their last game. The Kings are a young, energetic squad, but when Golden State was able to set the tempo back in October, things got out of hand quickly.

Prediction: Warriors win 109-94

This Golden State team is a tough matchup for Sacramento even if the Kings had plenty of rest, and getting them on the back end of a back-to-back doesn't bode well for a Kings team allowing 101.7 points per game. DeMarcus Cousins will need to have a monster night to keep this close, and even that might not be enough to match the Warriors' firepower.

Back to the Golden State Warriors Newsfeed