The Golden State Warriors defeated the Sacramento Kings for the second time in three nights on Friday, escaping with a dramatic 109-106 victory and pushing their preseason record to an unblemished 3-0. But while wins are good and fun (and should always be celebrated), victory wasn’t really the story in this game, as is so often the case in preseason.

Instead, it was a story about the team’s fourth-year lottery picks just ten days before the deadline for their rookie extensions.

Moses Moody, who has excelled all camp but was still at the back of Steve Kerr’s rotations, got a chance to start on Friday and formed an odd and creative starting lineup alongside Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Gary Payton II and Kyle Anderson. It didn’t take long for Anderson to show off his new and improved jumper, as the first two Warriors buckets were threes for the newcomer. But the Dubs, as has been the case for some time, were plagued by turnover losses.

When the rotations started to change, the Warriors started to find some rhythm, but there was a lot of sloppiness. The Warriors shot a sparkling 8-for-11 from distance in the quarter and had eight assists, but they turned the ball over six times…while Sacramento had no turnovers. Still, the hot shooting was enough for a 34-30 lead.

But the second quarter started terribly. Sacramento went on a 7-0 run to start the frame, and All-Star De’Aaron Fox had a trio of triples in the opening few minutes, while Green picked up his fourth foul. It seemed like a chance to let the game slip away, but Moody’s strong play helped the Warriors stay in it, even when Curry left the game with a jammed finger (he’s reportedly fine).

The sloppiness continued to manifest itself for Golden State, as they committed six more turnovers in the second frame. This time the three wouldn’t save them as they shot just 1-for-9 and trailed 58-55 at halftime.

The second half started terribly, with Curry still in the locker room, Green only playing a few minutes and De’Anthony Melton getting his first playing time. The only bright spot in the first few minutes was newly minted Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase joining Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike in the booth, and it was a treat. Sacramento quickly built a double-digit lead as the Warriors played some pretty gruesome basketball.

But then Moody and fellow 2021 draftee Jonathan Kuminga not only started catching fire, but they put the team on their shoulders. They were both aggressive, working downhill to get layups and trips to the free throw line, stepping out in transition and showing off their three-point jumpers as well. They forced the team back into the game and the Dubs closed the quarter on an 11-2 run, bringing them within three points.

That energy continued into the fourth quarter, where, unlike previous games, the Warriors continued to use only rotational players. Moody still put on an absolute show, but the Kings seemed to be building a comfortable lead. Finally, with just over four minutes remaining and the Dubs trailing by six, Kerr moved deeper to the bench and brought in the two-way players alongside Moody and Lindy Waters III. A few possessions later, Moody would leave as well.

But the players in the back row did not want their good performances to be lost on Moody and Kuminga. They kept things close and then tied the game with just over two minutes left. On the next possession, Gui Santos forced a missed jump with a great closeout, leaked out, caught a perfect pass from Pat Spencer and finished without a dribble for a three-point play. The Kings would come back to take the lead with about 55 seconds left before a beautiful hesitation move resulted in a Spencer layup with 42 seconds left.

After Sacramento botched a two-on-one (and, more importantly, missed the shot), Reece Beekman made a pair of free throws to make it a three-point game with 16.7 seconds left. From there, it would only take one last defensive stand, and while Sacramento got two shots from beyond the arc, neither looked good and the Warriors held on for a very nice win.

Moody finished with a game-high 23 points, shooting 7-for-13 from the field, 2-for-6 from deep and, perhaps most encouragingly, 7-for-8 from the free-throw line, while also grabbed three rebounds. and playing fantastic defense. Kuminga came off the bench for the first time this preseason but played his best basketball, keeping the Dubs in transition and scoring 19 points on just 5-for-8 shooting, including 3-for-4 from distance and 6-for-8 . 10 from the free throw line. The Warriors must be giddy because the fourth-year wings combined for 18 free throws, as well as the seven rebounds Kuminga pulled down.

Waters also had another strong game as he continues to make a case for a spot in the rotation. He shot just 1-5 and 0-3 from deep, but repeatedly got to the line, where he made all seven free throws. He also grabbed four rebounds and finished with a team-best +13.

Golden State will look to keep their undefeated postseason alive on Sunday when they host the Detroit Pistons at 5:30 PM PT.