SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors will have to beat two teams better than the one inside their building Tuesday night if they want to advance out of next week's play-in tournament.
It's a good thing they should have more help than they did against the Kings.
Despite leading by double digits late into the third quarter, it took the Warriors until the final moments to put away the Western Conference bottom dwellers in a 110-105 win.
Stephen Curry brings the ball up court against the Kings. NBAE via Getty Images
In his second game back from a 27-game absence, Stephen Curry lacked the late heroics that nearly willed them back against the Rockets but still sank one late 3-pointer and set up Brandin Podziemski for a dagger at the top of the key that put them up 107-104 with 1:54 left.
Curry finished with 17 points in 25 minutes off the bench , and De'Anthony Melton led five other scorers in double figures with 21 points for his best showing since March 16.
Playing his second game on a 10-day contract, Charles Bassey grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to go with 14 points for a double-double, while Pat Spencer paced them early with 11 of his 14 points in the first half after stepping into the starting lineup for Will Richard .
The rookie guard was scratched before tipoff after initially being listed in the starting lineup. Spencer logged 41 minutes, not only a career-high but the most the former lacrosse player has ever played.
He offered an honest assessment of how he felt afterward. "Pretty wiped."
Curry hits a three with a hand in his face. NBAE via Getty Images
The Warriors played their best half of basketball of the season the last time they faced the Kings, outscoring Sacramento by 30 points over the final two quarters of a 137-103 win in the first week of January, their largest margin of the season.
Their trouble putting away the Kings three months later only underscores how much has changed for the Warriors, who have since lost Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody for the season, and were also missing Gui Santos , Will Richard and a trio of big men — Kristaps Porzingis , Al Horford and Quinten Post .
The outcome of this one didn't change anything in the standings, but the Clippers ' win over the Mavericks officially locked them into the No. 10 seed.
The Kings capitalized on 11 Golden State turnovers in the third quarter to climb all the way back from a 16-point deficit and tie the score at 85 less than a minute into the fourth.
The Warriors converted only six shots from the field in the final period, but five came from 3-point territory, including a pair from Melton. Podziemski and both Curry brothers also contributed triples to seal the win.
This was the Warriors first win since Curry's return. NBAE via Getty Images
The Warriors' vice president of player health and performance gets the credit for working Curry back from an unpredictable knee injury that didn't show any negative effects in his second game back.
Curry was limited to three points after halftime and coach Steve Kerr said he looked "a little rusty," calling out his contributions to their turnover troubles in the third quarter.
But Curry looked plenty comfortable, twice squeezing around screens, getting off a shot from distance with defenders in his face and luring them into his landing space for a foul.
On his second four-point play, Curry smiled and shimmied from his seat on the floor.
In one encouraging sign heading into the postseason, Melton put together his best stretch of basketball in a few weeks. The guard returned from knee surgery in December and has recently been limited by a bum thumb but looked like the dynamic backcourt playmaker the Warriors had become accustomed to with 21 points in 29 minutes.
Melton poured in 12 in just the first six minutes of the second quarter, helping the Warriors build a double-digit advantage. In that stretch alone, Melton doubled his best scoring total since he had 14 in a March 25 win over the Nets .
The Warriors host the Lakers on Thursday in what will be their final home game of the season unless they are able to advance out of the play-in tournament. With their seeding already locked in, expect Curry and a collection of others to rest the following night in Sacramento.
