Sacramento Kings Rally To Beat Miami Heat, Snap 16-Year Skid

The Sacramento Kings defeated the Miami Heat tonight in a thriller by a score of 89-88. Listed down below is the game summary as well as notes to take away from the contest.

Somehow, some way, the Sacramento Kings were able to defeat the Miami Heat by a score of 89-88. In the last 15 games the Kings have played in South Beach, they have lost. But tonight’s win officially snaps that skid.

Game Summary

The first period of the game was a low-scoring 12 minutes. Both teams had solid looks on the floor but were unable to make their shots which resulted in a 19-17 lead for Sacramento once the quarter ended.

Goran Dragic was the only player on Miami to get his shot going as he finished with nine points. For the Kings, there were multiple players who were able to score but Justin Jackson stood above the rest as he recorded six points for the quarter.

Both teams found more success scoring the ball once the second period started. With both teams displaying better offense, the game remained tight and the lead was getting constantly swapped back and forth. In the end, however, the quarter ended with the match tied at 47 entering halftime.

For the Heat, their offense continued to be anchored by Dragic who added seven more points to his night, going into halftime with 16 points. For the Kings, Buddy Hield emerged as the Kings’ top scorer as he finished the half with 15 points.

Despite the game being tied, the Kings were more effective shooting the ball as they shot 51% from the floor and 67% from the perimeter compared to the Heat who shot 40% from the court overall and from three.

The third quarter could not have gone better for the Kings as they played good defense and attacked the ball on offense. As a result, the Kings found themselves with an eight-point lead midway through the third.

But in an attempt to prevent the Kings from pulling away, the Heat opted to go to their bench, and to their fortune, it paid off. Players like Kelly Olynyk and Bam Adebayo were able to help the Heat rally and come back to keep the game close. Dragic then returned and found his rhythm to keep Miami’s momentum going until the third ended with the Heat on top 72-71.

To start the final period, it was the Heat that started the quarter hot as they led as big as double-digit points midway through the fourth. It seemed like a loss was coming Sacramento’s way, but the youth of their team came back swinging.

The rally started with Hield as he continued to have success making his jump shots. Then more of the young guys for Sacramento started to chip in.

All of sudden, the Kings were trailing by just one point with 20 seconds remaining. With five seconds left, Bogdan Bogdanovic pulled up for a midrange jumper on the right wing where the ball went in-and-out of the basket. With the ball up for grabs, De’Aaron Fox went Super Saiyan as he leaped above everyone to snatch the missed shot and slam it down to give the Kings a one-point lead.

With three seconds still remaining, the Heat had the chance to win the game, but Josh Richardson’s shot attempt was no good, sealing a second straight win for Sacramento.

Final Thoughts

Tonight’s win was huge for the Kings. Not only were they able to defeat the Heat in South Beach, a location where Sacramento has struggled to play for the last 15 years, but they earned the victory by the play of their youth.

I continue to witness the young guys improving their games and becoming more comfortable in the NBA. If they can keep this trend going until the end of the season, I expect brighter things to come for the Kings going forth.

Listed down below are some key notes that I took away from tonight’s match.

Key Takeaways

• Tonight’s win for Sacramento snaps a 15-game losing streak in Miami. The last time the Kings were victorious in South Beach was during the 2001-2002 season.
• Buddy Hield continues to impress with his dynamic shooting. He finished tonight with 24 points off the bench while shooting 10-15 from the floor.
• De’Aaron Fox continues to make strides in running the offense. He was able to record 14 points and four assists.
• Goran Dragic was the anchor for Miami as he recorded 23 points for the game.
• The Kings did a good job in limiting Hassan Whiteside to just eight points.
• Despite the score being close, the Kings were clearly the better team shooting tonight. The Kings shot 47% from the floor and 42% from the perimeter while the Heat shot 38% from the floor and 35% from three.
• Tonight was the first time the Kings sported their City Edition uniforms. They are now undefeated while wearing them.

The Kings’ next game will be on Sunday as they face off against the San Antonio Spurs. Can the purple and white extend their win streak to three?