The Sacramento Kings stunned the Golden State Warriors by winning Game 6 on the road, but it appears Malik Monk may have sown the seeds for their downfall in Game 7 with his comments afterward.
Monk suggested that the Warriors were too old to keep up with the Kings, with there being just a day off between the games, and Stephen Curry said it motivated them.
“I think the competitive spirit is always in us and we didn’t need any sound bites to motivate us, but it did help,” Curry said. “To know, they thought they had something in the sense of the pace that they tried to get it to Game 6, that was a talking point for them.”
“We didn’t need any sound bites to motivate us, but it did help.”
Steph on Monk calling them old 😅 pic.twitter.com/sgX3Bc5Ch6
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) April 30, 2023
The Kings had pushed the pace in Game 6, and the Warriors weren’t able to keep up. Monk stated after the game that they knew they could run the Warriors a little bit and used it to get the win.
“Starting strong, starting early, and running on them because we had one day, last couple of games they had two days break,” Monk said. “We knew we could run them a little bit and we took advantage of that tonight… They was a little tired. We’re a little younger than they are, so we knew we could take advantage of that. We’re gonna try to do the same thing Sunday.”
Malik’s Monk said he “knew we could run them” with only one day off between games. It’s an even quicker turnaround for Game 7. “I felt it a little more on them. They were a little tired. We’re younger than they are…Gonna try to do the same thing Sunday.” pic.twitter.com/XiRv4KNt1F
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 29, 2023
Monk wasn’t trying to be disrespectful with his comments, but it did motivate Golden State, who have had to hear about how they are too old and that the dynasty is coming to an end. They showed they still have gas left in the tank, with Curry exploding for 50 points to lead his team to a 120-100 win.
Stephen Curry Also Motivated His Team With An Inspirational Speech
While Monk’s comments certainly motivated the Warriors, they were also inspired by a speech Curry gave before Game 7. Andrew Wiggins stated that he got chills listening to Steph, while Jordan Poole called him a killer and compared him to Kobe Bryant. Gary Payton II added that Curry isn’t the type who speaks up often, so when he did, everyone listened and followed him.
He also sent a message to the likes of Poole and Jonathan Kuminga, who might have been unhappy with their roles, stating that anyone who was in their emotions or was ready for a vacation could just stay home. Curry certainly wasn’t in the mood to go on vacation just yet, and he balled out to ensure their title defense didn’t end in the first round. The Warriors now face a stern challenge in the Los Angeles Lakers, but they would be confident about winning the series as they have Curry on their side.
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