The Golden State Warriors got all they could handle from the Sacramento Kings in their first-round series of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. In the end, their experience won out as the Warriors won Game 7 on the road at Golden 1 Center.
Golden State looked like the defending champions while the Kings, for really the first time all series, looked like a team who was lacking in playoff experience and just snapped a 16-year playoff drought. When it mattered most the veterans for the Warriors stepped up.
Garnering the most headlines, and deservedly so, was Stephen Curry. He scored a Game 7 record 50 points to lead his team to victory, as he was determined to not go home. But, he was far from the only player to have a huge impact on the game.
Starting center Kevon Looney also deserves his flowers for how he performed. In the win-or-go-home game, he scored 11 points with 21 rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes. Curry made sure to give him the praise he deserved as well.
“These last two years, he’s anchored us inside,” Curry expressed in the postgame interview. “We’re not the biggest team. Him and Draymond [Green] try to man the paint all game, all year, all playoffs. … It’s huge for us because, within every series, he finds a way to make an impact.
“And it’s loud — not with points, it’s all the dirty work that he has to do. We love him for it.”
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Kevon Looney & Golden State Warriors Updates
Looney didn’t see an uptick in minutes in the last five games of the series, but his performance took a major leap. With Draymond Green suspended for Game 3, it was Looney who stepped up to the plate and took over the role of main facilitator offensively.
He handed out nine assists in that game to go along with 20 rebounds and four points. Looney grabbed at least 13 rebounds in each of the final five games of the series, pulling 20+ in three of them.
“I always had faith that I could get back. But I’d always get really close and then something freakish would happen,” Looney said this Sunday. “I always had trust in the training staff and myself. But I don’t know if everyone had faith in me.”
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Kevon Looney & Golden State Warriors Updates
Looney is an integral part of the Warriors’ success. His impact goes beyond the box score as he does so many things that aren’t tracked by numbers.
It is no surprise that once he saw an uptick in production the Warriors began experiencing some success on the court. Looney thrives doing the dirty work that Curry mentioned.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Kevon Looney & Golden State Warriors Updates
It is great to see him starting to receive the recognition that he deserves after having the best series of his career. Without him, the Warriors are very likely already at home beginning their offseason plans.
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