LOS ANGELES: Defending champion Golden State saw Kevin Durant sidelined for two weeks, Israeli forward Omri Casspi hurt and their bid to overtake Houston for the NBA’s best record falter Friday (Saturday in Manila) with a 98-93 loss to Sacramento. Buddy Hield came off the Sacramento bench to score 22 points to lead the Kings against a struggling Warriors squad without Durant and star guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Before the game, Durant was put onto the injured list with a rib cartilage fracture and set for re-evaluation in two weeks. The reigning NBA Most Valuable Player ranks sixth among all NBA scorers this season with 26.6 points a game. Golden State was also without Curry, out with a sore right ankle, and Thompson, sidelined by a broken right thumb.

Source: Manila Times March 17, 2018 14:03 UTC