Weekend Recap: Kings win 3 in a row during impressive stretch
Kings edge Clippers in historic game, dropping 176 points
Friday night, the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers played one of the greatest games of all time. It currently stands as the second-highest scoring game in NBA history as the Kings defeated the Clips 176-175 in double-overtime. Just an unreal display of offense by both teams. It was almost like watching a video game, no one could miss as they combined for 351 points.
The stars showed out in a game that the Kings really needed, as the Clippers are right behind them in the standings. It was another magical performance by De’Aaron Fox as he 42 points with 12 assists, and even swiped a season-high 5 steals in the victory. However, Fox wasn’t the only former Kentucky Wildcat that had a career game.
Malik Monk was a menace to the Clippers defense all night. He scored a career-high 45 points off the bench, adding in 6 three-pointers. It’s the first time in Kings franchise history that 2 players have scored 40-plus points in the same game, as it seems this matchup was full of record-breaking moments.
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Monk forced overtime with a nasty corner three-pointer that was nothing but net, and he continued his hot streak into the overtime periods leading the team to victory. Sabonis had a quiet 20 and 10 during the win as the perimeter players really took charge. Rookie forward Keegan Murray added 15 points as well playing in a season-high 43 minutes.
Now it’s still clear that the Kings have issues on the defensive side of the ball, but toward the end, they were forcing turnovers all over the court. They even ended the game with 18 steals as a team which was also a season-high. This could end up being one of the most impressive wins for the Kings in the last few years.
The two overtimes were simply edge-of-your-seat basketball. De’Aaron Fox hit the dagger with 36.3 seconds left, as Los Angeles failed to strike back after a missed corner three by Nicolas Batum. I’ll live with that 9 times out of 10 if I’m the Kings in a late-game moment, anyone but George or Leonard.
The Clippers were on fire as well, as the dynamic duo that is Kawhi Leanord and Paul George were lethal from everywhere on the court. The two combined for 78 points and made it tough for the Kings defense all night. New addition Russell Westbrook also had a solid game, adding 14 assists in the loss.