"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to Arco Arena! We are thrilled to bring you the Sacramento Kings' first game of the 2014–15 season! Tonight, the Kings take on the Golden State Warriors in their home opener!" The arena DJ's booming voice whipped the crowd into a frenzy.
After the successful "Save Our Kings" campaign, Sacramento's unity was at an all-time high. The 20,000-seat arena was sold out, and the roar of the fans felt powerful enough to blow the roof off.
"Alright, guys, it's time to show what we worked for all summer," Coach Malone said, standing in the middle of the locker room with his hands on his hips. "The Warriors are tough, no question. But we're no pushovers. At the level we're playing now, there's no reason to fear anyone. Our goal this year is the playoffs — and when you face a strong opponent, you meet them head-on!"
"Yeah!" the Kings roared back, slamming their fists together in a tight circle. "Victory!"
So this is the Warriors?
Sitting courtside in a prime spot, Chen Yilun wore a floral shirt under a casual suit jacket, looking more like a wealthy vacationer than a general manager.
From this season on, the Warriors were expected to rule the West, and the Cavs–Warriors rivalry would dominate the Finals for years — unless he had something to say about it.
Yilun wasn't the type to sit back. His eyes swept across each Warriors player in turn, sizing them up like prey.
On the Warriors bench, head coach Steve Kerr, dressed in a gray suit, caught the look. "That the Kings' new GM?" he asked his assistant.
"Yeah. He's been busy all offseason. No clue what his endgame is."
"Then find out. You never know when a guy like that will start making moves on us." Kerr's brow furrowed. "I've got a feeling he's going to be trouble."
Technically, Kerr and Yilun came from the same coaching tree — Kerr had played for the Spurs, won the 2003 title, and spent time under Gregg Popovich. By Eastern custom, that would make Kerr the "senior" in their shared lineage.
...
In the broadcast booth, O'Neal and Kenny were breaking down the matchup.
"No doubt the Warriors have the upper hand," Kenny began. "Curry and Klay have become the league's most dangerous backcourt. Meanwhile, the Kings are starting two second-year guards — CJ and Ben."
"I agree," O'Neal nodded. "But I'm curious why the Kings moved Rudy Gay to the four. That's a big change from the Cousins–Mozgov twin-tower setup everyone expected."
"I saw that too. Maybe it's a new wrinkle from Coach Malone. Oh! Here we go!"
The tip went up, and Cousins easily beat David Lee, tapping the ball to CJ McCollum. CJ took a deep breath and dribbled across half court.
Stephen Curry crouched low in front of him, eyes locked.
Stick to the play, CJ. You've got this. This is a golden opportunity — don't blow it.
CJ called for the set, and Rudy Gay stepped up to set the screen. Barnes, guarding Rudy, reacted quickly, ready to switch. CJ crossed over, shaking Curry, who got hung up on Rudy's pick just long enough to lose position.
CJ drove toward the lane, but Barnes slid over to cut him off. The play looked broken — until CJ smirked. A pump fake froze the defense, and he whipped the ball to Ben McLemore in the corner.
From the moment Rudy set that pick, Ben and Casspi had been running a crisscross cut. Klay Thompson sprinted to contest but slammed into a wall of muscle — Cousins setting a hard screen. With no one in front of him, Ben squared up and fired.
Swish!
"Beautiful!" Kenny pumped a fist. "Perfect execution — the threat at the top pulled the defense away, leaving the weak-side corner shooter wide open."
"Exactly," O'Neal added. "And it was all run by two second-year players, while Cousins and Rudy just turned into relentless pick-and-roll machines."
Last season's Kings were all isolation and chaos. Now? They looked like a well-drilled war machine.
...
On the other end, Curry called for a screen from Draymond Green, stepped right, and buried the three.
Swish.
A textbook response. Malone frowned — as long as Curry was on the floor, perimeter defense would always be under maximum stress.
"Run play two!" CJ signaled, and Rudy took the ball at the top. Three shooters spaced the arc, with Cousins battling for position inside.
Rudy spotted him and fed the pass. Cousins backed Lee down like a charging bull, then faked, spun, and hammered it home with both hands.
"Yeah!" The arena exploded.
"Great footwork inside," O'Neal said. "That's how you maximize Cousins in the paint."
Kerr folded his arms. First game of the season, and the Kings were already making a statement. The West was going to be interesting.
...
Midway through the quarter, the Kings led 14–9. Sensing Lee as the weak spot, they kept feeding Cousins, who poured in six quick points.
"Trap him!" Kerr barked. Draymond left Rudy to double. Cousins calmly lobbed it to Rudy, wide open at the top.
Swish.
Kerr's expression darkened. This felt like a stripped-down four-out, one-in — and he hadn't seen it coming. "Timeout!"
The whistle blew. The Kings had forced the Warriors to regroup early.
"David, take a breather. Bogut, you're in. Forget scoring — just shut down Cousins."
Bogut nodded firmly. After the break, Curry curled around a screen and knocked down a mid-range jumper, cutting it to 17–11.
CJ found Cousins inside again, but Bogut held his ground, forcing an awkward hook that clanged off. Bogut grabbed the rebound, and moments later, Barnes was slamming it home on the other end.
"Sorry, I rushed that. Give me another shot," Cousins muttered sheepishly.
"Nope," CJ said flatly. "Coach says we're running play one."
"Pfft, stingy," Cousins joked, sticking out his tongue before jogging back.
"Is he actually an adult?" CJ asked, still baffled.
Rudy sighed. "You'll get used to it. That's just him — hopeless."
...
With Bogut in, the Warriors' pace slowed. Rudy ran a pick-and-roll with Cousins, pulled up over Draymond, and drilled the jumper.
At the end of the first quarter, the Kings led 28–21.
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