Sacramento Kings win first playoff game in SEVENTEEN YEARS taking Game 1, 126-123 vs. the Warriors

The Sacramento Kings won its first playoff game since 2006 in a pulsating encounter vs. the reigning NBA champion Warriors. 

De’Aaron Fox scored 38 points in his long-awaited playoff debut and the Sacramento Kings celebrated their return to the postseason after a record 17-year drought by beating the defending-champion Golden State Warriors 126-123 on Saturday night.

The first playoff meeting between the Northern California neighbors lived up to the hype and delighted the raucous crowd that had been waiting for a playoff game since 2006.

The inexperienced Kings closed the game strong against a Warriors team that HAS won four titles in the previous eight seasons.

After Stephen Curry hit a corner 3-pointer to give Golden State a 114-112 lead with about four minutes left, the Kings responded with seven in a row starting with a 3-pointer from Fox, who led the league in clutch points in the regular season.

The Sacramento Kings won its first playoff game since 2006 in a pulsating encounter Saturday

In his first playoff game, De’Aaron Fox dropped 38 points – before lighting the beam postgame

The Warriors didn’t go away and cut the deficit to one on a layup by Curry in the final minute. But Andrew Wiggins missed a corner three for the lead in the closing seconds of his first game in more than two months.

Malik Monk made two free throws to make it 126-123 with 2.9 seconds left. Curry missed a runner from three at the buzzer, giving the Kings their first playoff win since April 30, 2006, against San Antonio.

Rightfully, Fox lit the beam – a tradition following a Kings victory – further igniting the raucous crowd. 

Curry and Co. have the opportunity to tie the series at one, when Game 2 begins Monday at 10pm ET.

In his first game since February 13, Andrew Wiggins had a wide-open three to put GS ahead

Steph Curry had an opportunity to send the pulsating game into overtime, but he couldn’t hit