Well, that was something.
The Kings’ 124-118 win over the Warriors at Golden 1 Center messily displayed a little bit of everything one could see, let alone imagine, on a professional basketball court.
In fact, as 4:39 remained on the clock in the third quarter, Sacramento rookie center Dylan Cardwell was spotted — and heard — barking at Golden State’s bench after being tied up with veteran guard De’Anthony Melton, resulting in a jump ball.
The Golden 1 Center crowd loved Cardwell’s energy, as usual; the Warriors, however, appeared dumbfounded when met with the 24-year-old’s canine-like sounds.
But get this: Golden State actually barked back — literally and figuratively.
On the ensuing possession, after the 6-foot-2 Melton hilariously beat the 6-foot-10 Cardwell for the jump ball, Warriors center Al Horford drained a key 3-point shot to swing the momentum.
And Golden State’s bench let Cardwell and Sacramento hear it.
You don’t see a barking match in the NBA every day.
Somehow, though, that wasn’t all Friday’s Northern California showdown had in store.
The Kings’ youngsters and Warriors’ veterans got into it.
Golden State’s Gary Payton II was ejected.
And Brandin Podziemski scored a career-high 30 points, which allowed a superfan — who pledged in 2024 not to post on X until the 23-year-old hit the milestone — to reactivate their account.
So, on the surface, the Kings beat the Warriors by six in their last meeting of the 2025-26 NBA season. But in reality, the game had everything, from flaring tempers to … barking.