Milwaukee Bucks v Golden State Warriors
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Looking at Game 2 of this series you would think the Sacramento Kings were the team that has won four championships and has a wealth of postseason experience under their belt. That's just how dominant the Kings were in their 114-106 win over the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors' usual suspects of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green stepped up, but the Kings brought a far more balanced offensive attack and it resulted in a 2-0 series lead.

After two rowdy games at the Golden 1 Center, the series shifts to San Francisco, where the Warriors hope that they can respond to a Kings team that looks unstoppable right now. Oh, and to make matters worse for Golden State, it'll be heading into Game 3 without Green, who was suspended for stepping on Domantas Sabonis' chest in Game 2, but more on that below.

In preparation for Game 3, here's everything you need to know about this matchup. 

(3) Sacramento Kings vs. (6) Golden State Warriors

  • Date: Thursday, April 20 | Time: 10 p.m. ET
  • Location: Chase Center -- San Francisco, California
  • TV channel: TNT | Live stream: TNT app
  • Odds: Warriors -6; O/U 239 (via Caesars Sportsbook)

Storylines

Kings: Yes, Sacramento is the higher-seeded team, but absolutely no one could've predicted that they would absolutely dominate the Warriors in back-to-back games in the team's first playoff appearance in 17 years. De'Aaron Fox has played like a poised veteran, living up to the newly-award honor of being the league's Clutch Player of the Year. Domantas Sabonis bounced back from Game 1 with 24 points. Davion Mitchell has been a nightmare on defense, Malik Monk has been the same on offense. Everything is clicking for the Kings, and they're looking like the real deal. The big question is if they can maintain this level of play, especially against a Warriors that will be desperate in every game going forward. We've seen teams collapse after holding 2-0 leads, and Golden State has enough weapons to come back from this hole.

Warriors: This is the first time since 2007 that the Warriors face an 0-2 deficit in a playoff series. So it goes without saying how significant of a deal it is that they find themselves on the losing side of this series so far. And as mentioned above, as the Warriors try to gain some footing in this series in Game 3, they'll be doing so without Green who was suspended by the league for one game after stepping on Sabonis' chest as the two were tied up under the basket on a possession. Regardless of where you stand on the punishment handed down by the league, it's not an ideal time for Green to be suspended in this series. He's the most important defender for Golden State, and not having him will leave a huge hole on that end of the floor. With Green out, it'll be interesting to see who Steve Kerr puts into the starting lineup in this pivotal game. There are several options he could go with, if he wants to have as much scoring out there as possible he could go with Jordan Poole. Gary Payton II gives you a boost on the defensive side of the ball, and Jonathan Kuminga ensures you're not losing size with Green out. Whoever Kerr puts out there, it's clear that this is a must-win game for the Warriors. 

Prediction

I truly cannot see the Warriors falling behind 3-0 in this series, but then again I also didn't think the Kings would be up 2-0 at this point. I still think the Kings win this series, but Golden State will be playing with desperation, and while missing Green will hurt them I ultimately think they'll take his suspension in stride and pull out a win. The pick: Warriors -6