Westbrook s 204th triple-double made history, the remaining Warriors lost to the Kings and exposed deep hidden dangers

On November 6, the NBA regular season staged a dramatic reversal. The Golden State Warriors lost to the Sacramento Kings 116-121 on the road, suffering their fourth defeat of the new season. Although the Warriors' young players, led by Kuminga, Richard and Moody, once established a 13-point lead, the Kings finally completed the reversal, led by Russell Westbrook's all-around performance of 23 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists.

In this game, a total of five All-Star players from both sides are missing - the Warriors are missing Curry, Butler and Dream Green, while the Kings are missing Sabonis Jr. and LaVine. This originally dimmed game became exciting due to Westbrook's historic performance and the explosion of the Warriors' young players.

The remaining lineup attacks, and the Warriors' trident cannot stop the defeat.

With Curry missing due to illness, Butler due to back strain, and Dream Green unable to play due to rib problems, the Warriors were forced to field an extremely young starting lineup.

Jonathan Kuminga carried the offensive banner and contributed 24 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists, but he also made 5 turnovers and 5 fouls. He missed a key shot at the end of the game and became a key factor in the Warriors' failure to complete their comeback.

This year's second-round pick Richard played a career masterpiece. He made 10 of 15 shots from the field, 5 of 8 three-pointers, and scored 30 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. This young player who had rarely played time before showed his great potential as a 3D player in this game.

Moses Moody also performed well, hitting 6 three-pointers and contributing 28 points, 4 blocks, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. His versatile performance on both offense and defense almost helped the Warriors steal a victory on the road.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said frankly after the game: "Without so many main players, we still have a chance to win, and the young players showed their growth. But the lack of experience at critical moments cost us."

Westbrook returned to his peak, and the historical triple-double king set another record.

Russell Westbrook played the most representative performance since joining the Kings in this game. He made 9 of 13 shots from the field and efficiently scored a triple-double of 23 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. This is his 204th career triple-double, continuing to consolidate his leading position on the NBA's all-time triple-double list.

What is even more amazing is that Westbrook also set another historical record in this game - his total career rebounds surpassed Jason Kidd (8,725) and rose to 63rd in history, officially becoming the defender with the most rebounds in NBA history.

At the last moment of the game, Westbrook first assisted Schroeder to hit a key three-pointer, then scored a tip-in, and then assisted Schroeder again to hit a three-pointer. One person directed the offensive climax that determined the trend of the game. His key defense caused the Warriors' mistakes and completely killed the suspense of the game.

Westbrook said in the post-game interview: "I always believe in my ability, no matter how the outside world evaluates it. My job is to go all out and help the team win. Tonight we showed our resilience."

The game turned in the third quarter, and the Kings won by 12 points in a single quarter.

The turning point of the game came in the third quarter. The Kings completely suppressed the Warriors in this quarter, scoring 35-23 in a single quarter, winning by 12 points, reversing the passive situation in the first half.

The Kings’ adjustments on the defensive end are particularly critical. After they switched to a defensive strategy, the offensive efficiency of the Warriors' young players dropped significantly. In particular, the restriction on Kuminga was extremely successful, allowing him to only score limited points in this section.

On the offensive end, the Kings made full use of Westbrook's organizational ability and DeRozan's singles skills. DeMar DeRozan contributed 25 points, continuing his technical characteristics as "one of the most outstanding midfielders in the league."

Dennis Schroeder also played a key role, contributing 18 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, and hit three consecutive three-pointers in the final quarter to help the Kings open the score. Malik Monk, who came off the bench, also scored 21 points, providing important firepower for the Kings' bench.

A wave of injuries swept through, and the two teams competed for depth.

In this game, injuries became an unavoidable topic for both sides. As for the Warriors, in addition to the absence of Curry, Butler and Dream Green, Brandin Podemski (wrist injury) was also listed as doubtful for the game.

The Kings are also full of injuries. In addition to the absence of Sabonis (rib injury) and LaVine (back injury), Keegan Murray (left thumb surgery) also continues to miss the game. This makes the Kings' lineup configuration this season look "very deformed."

It is worth mentioning that Westbrook almost had no ball to play in the offseason, and finally joined the Kings at the buzzer before the start of the regular season, signing a non-guaranteed basic salary. His outstanding performance in this game undoubtedly made this contract one of the most cost-effective signings this season.

Warriors reporter Anthony Slater commented after the game: "In such an injury situation, the Warriors were still able to fight with their opponents until the last minute, which in itself proves the progress of the team's young players. But at the same time, the team also exposed stability problems when core players are absent."

Prospects of the season, the two teams face different challenges

This victory gave the Kings their third victory of the new season, and the current record is 3 wins and 5 losses. In the fiercely competitive Western Conference, they still maintain hope of making the playoffs.

For the Kings, Westbrook’s recent performance is undoubtedly a shot in the arm.. In the past five games, he averaged 16.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game, shooting 44.1% from the field and 41.4% from the three-point range. Such versatile output makes him an indispensable part of the team's system.

The Warriors suffered their third loss in the past four games, casting a shadow over their season prospects. What is even more worrying is that the Warriors are facing a devilish schedule of 12 games and 10 away games, and Curry's return timetable is still uncertain.

However, Richard's outbreak provided a glimmer of hope for the Warriors. As a second-round pick, he showed he can be an important part of the team's rotation. If he can maintain this performance, it will relieve the Warriors' scoring pressure to a great extent.

When the buzzer sounded at the end of the game, Westbrook high-fived his teammates, while the young Warriors players left the field sadly. The score of 121-116 recorded a game about inheritance and persistence - Westbrook used his 204th triple-double to prove that the veteran is not old; Richard used a 30-point explosion to announce that the newcomer has arrived.

In the long NBA season, such a game may be just an ordinary game of 82 regular season games. But what it reveals is the eternal law of alternation between old and new in the alliance.

For the Warriors, the haze of injuries will eventually dissipate, and the growth of young players during this period may become the team's most important asset in the future. For the Kings, Westbrook's rebirth indicates that even undervalued veterans can still be reborn in a suitable system.

The charm of NBA has never been limited to its star-studded games. When the stars show off their exemption cards, those role players who are usually unknown often bring us the purest basketball emotions. This game happens to be the best proof.