Fourth-quarter comeback lifts Warriors over Kings after Stephen Curry exits due to injury

SAN FRANCISCO

Pat Spencer picked an opportune time to score his only basket of the game for the Golden State Warriors.

Spencer made a go-ahead layup in the final minute to help the Warriors beat the Kings 109-106 in a preseason game Friday at Chase Center in San Francisco.

The Warriors staged a fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Kings for the second time in 48 hours after handing them a 122-112 loss in their preseason opener Wednesday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Kings coach Mike Brown was pleased with his team’s effort despite the loss.

“We’re making progress,” Brown said. “I really thought we did some good things tonight as a group, especially our starters.”

Warriors star Stephen Curry was held to five points on 2-of-7 shooting before leaving the game late in the first half. Curry went to the locker room and did not return due to a jammed finger.

“He was going to play into the end of the third quarter tonight,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “When he jammed his finger, it made no sense to send him back out.”

Moses Moody scored 23 points to lead the Warriors (3-0). Jonathan Kuminga had 19 points and seven rebounds.

All five starters scored in double figures for the Kings (0-2) despite sitting out the fourth quarter. Sacramento was missing Malik Monk, who was not with the team due to personal reasons.

Fox finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists, going 6 of 12 from the field and 4 of 6 from 3-point range. Keegan Murray scored 17 points. DeMar DeRozan had 16 points and six assists.

Domantas Sabonis recorded a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Keon Ellis added 12 points, going 3 of 7 from 3-point range.

Fox said DeRozan feels like a natural fit in Sacramento’s lineup.

“It definitely feels natural right now,” Fox said. “Obviously, we have someone else who can really post up and create their own shot, but he’s also still creating for others and making our jobs easier, so I feel like there are no hiccups. Right now we’re not running much. We’re just running our flow offense and I think it’s looked good.”

DeRozan agreed.

“It’s comfortable,” DeRozan said. “Now, it’s just about getting that consistent rhythm, and the more we play, the more opportunities we get, the easier it becomes.”

Sacramento trailed 34-30 at the end of the first quarter, but it could have been worse. The Warriors shot 61.1% from the field and made 8 of 11 (.727) from 3-point range while the Kings shot 39.3%, making just 3 of 15 (.200) from beyond the arc.

The Kings looked better defensively in the second period, outscoring the Warriors 28-21 after holding them to 6-of-20 shooting. Sacramento led 58-55 at the halftime break after DeRozan made a baseline jumper with 0.1 seconds remaining.

Brown played his starters in the third quarter after sitting them in the second half of Wednesday’s preseason opener against the Warriors.

Sacramento went up 71-62 on a 3-pointer by Fox. They led 78-70 when Fox, Ellis, DeRozan and Sabonis left the game at the 4:39 mark in the third period. Murray checked out moments later as Brown turned to his reserves to finish the game.

The Warriors ended the third quarter with an 11-2 run and trailed 84-81 going into the fourth. They eventually tied the game on a free throw by Lindy Waters III with 2:29 to play and took a 105-102 lead on a three-point play by Gui Santos with 1:40 remaining.

The Kings cut the deficit to one on a pullup jumper by Isaiah Crawford and reclaimed the lead on a baseline jumper by Boogie Ellis with 56.2 seconds to go. The Warriors went up 107-106 on a layup by Spencer with 41.4 seconds remaining. The Kings had a chance to send the game to overtime, but Isaac Jones and Mason Jones missed 3-pointers in the final 11 seconds.

Kevin Huerter update

Kings guard Kevin Huerter is nearing a return seven months after suffering a shoulder injury that caused him to miss the end of the 2023-24 season.

The team said Huerter has been cleared for full-contact court activity after being reevaluated by Dr. Neal ElAttrache at Cedars-Sinai Kerland-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. Huerter will progress through the final stages of return-to-play protocol before returning to game action.

Brown could not provide a timeline for Huerter, saying he doesn’t know if he will be ready for the season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 24 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

Latest on Malik Monk

Monk was still away from the team due to personal reasons on Friday. Sources told The Sacramento Bee that Monk is not injured and is not expected to miss an extended period of time.

Monk left Wednesday’s game against the Warriors with 8:18 to play in the second quarter. He went to the locker room and did not return.

Upcoming preseason schedule

Oct. 13 vs. Portland Trail Blazers

Oct. 15 at Utah Jazz

Oct. 17 at Los Angeles Clippers