Friday’s Northern California showdown saw Golden State Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo face off against his former team, the Sacramento Kings. DiVincenzo poured in an efficient 18 points, dished out 9 assists, and grabbed 6 rebounds in the 119-97 victory.
Following his strong performance, the now Warriors-guard discussed his exit from Sacramento, telling reporters he respected the organization’s decision to go in a different direction.
“You know, it’s just the direction they wanted to go in and I respect it,” DiVincenzo said via NBC Sports Bay Area. “I know this league is a business at the end of the day and they’re doing damn good over there. And I’m doing well. I didn’t look too much into it, I moved onto the next phase and they did as well. Last year was an up-and-down year for me mentally, but I think what I’m most thankful for is this organization. Just coming here and kind of resetting everything for myself. Not just on the court but off the court. I’m in a very good spot and very good place mentally and I’m extremely thankful to be here.”
Donte talks about his time with the Kings last season and moving on in the offseason
Since joining the Warriors, DiVincenzo has been a reliable role player. This season he’s averaged 9.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, while shooting 43.5% from the field and 39.7% from beyond the arc. Plus, he’s filled in as a starter 35 times, as the Dubs battled injuries and absences throughout the year.
Kings ‘Not Scared’ of Facing Warriors in the Playoffs
DiVincenzo could be seeing his former team quite a bit over the next few weeks. Golden State and Sacramento have a 37.4% chance of meeting in the opening round of the playoffs this year, according to Basketball Reference.
Though the Dubs would enter the series as defending NBA champions, Sacramento forward Chimezie Metu told reporters that he and his teammates are not afraid of the Warriors, or anyone else in the playoffs.
“They’re the defending champs. It’s going to be tough to go in there and go toe-to-toe,” he said via NBC Sports Bay Area. “But we’re going to go in there and attack it head-on. We’re not scared of them. We’re not scared of anybody, one [seed] through eight [seed].”
“We’re not scared of them, we’re not scared of anybody.”
Metu on potentially facing the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs
Kendrick Perkins, Charles Barkley Pick Kings to Beat Warriors
Much like Metu, both Kendrick Perkins and Charles Barkley have voiced their faith in the Kings in a potential meeting with the Warriors.
Barkley picked Sacramento to beat Golden State earlier this week on TNT’s NBA pregame show.
“The Sacramento Kings are going to win a playoff series,” Barkley said on TNT’s NBA Tip-Off on April 6. “Guaranteed! They’re going to be playing the Warriors or the [Los Angeles] Lakers, that’s a tough first-round series. They gon’ win a series.”
Perkins had issued a warning to the Dubs about a month ago, saying that they’d “better stay the hell away from the Sacramento Kings.”
“I’m going to say this right now,” Perk prefaced on the March 13 edition of ESPN’s First Take. “They’d better stay the hell away from the Sacramento Kings, because no matter how young that Kings group is, no matter how inexperience they be when it comes to the postseason, they have old souls… The Sacramento Kings are going to the Western Conference Finals. The Golden State Warriors, their championship days are over.”
“The Golden State Warriors, their championship days are OVER!”
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Donte DiVincenzo Sounds Off on Kings Exit, After Warriors Blowout Win