While it’s technically the stretch run of the season, the Golden State Warriors won’t be suiting up for a game until further notice. The NBA has suspended the 2019-20 season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

With no basketball on the radar, Warriors Wire is digging deep into Golden State’s history — highlighting worthy individual performances from the past. Yesterday, we looked at Klay Thompson’s clutch 23 second-half points against the Portland Trail Blazers in 2010.

While the modern Warriors roster has been littered with All-Star caliber players, in the early 2000s, Jason Richardson was the featured headliner at Oakland’s Oracle Arena.

March 17, 2005

The 2004-05 season for the Golden State Warriors wasn’t pretty for Mike Montgomery’s squad. However, Richardson started to establish himself as a true scoring threat in the league.

The shooting guard averaged 21.7 points per game on 44.6 % shooting from the field. Against the Kings late in the season, “J-Rich” exploded for 40 points against the playoff-bound Sacramento Kings.

Richardson shot 16-of-28 from the field, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. The Michigan State product added 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals against the Kings.

On top of his big night on the stat sheet, Richardson’s biggest bucket clinched the Warriors 100-97 win. Golden State held the lead throughout the game, yet the Kings fought their way back in the second half behind Cutino Mobley’s 28 points.

Kenny Thomas tied the game for Sacramento at 97, with 40 seconds remaining. The two-time Slam Dunk Champion drilled a 23-foot jumper with 28 seconds left in the game. Sacramento missed their next four shots to clinch the Warriors upset win.

Over his career with Golden State, Richardson recorded two 40 point efforts against the Kings.

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