What we learned in the game’s scuffle leads to Kings’ victory over Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
BOX SCORE
SACRAMENTO – There were skirmishes, ejections, free pizza and – for the first time in a long time, “Light the Beam” chants – as the Kings (10-12) defeated the red-hot Houston Rockets (15-12). 7) by a final score of 120-111 on Tuesday evening at Golden 1 Center.
Sacramento didn’t perform well in front of their home crowd this season, but improved that record to 5-7 with their first NBA Cup win.
And boy, did fans enjoy G1C from start to finish.
After a slow first quarter from both teams, tensions flared in the second quarter as Dillon Brooks was up to his trademark antics. Benched semi-cleared in the quarter, resulting in several technical fouls. But most of all, the skirmish served as fuel for the Kings to finish the quarter strong and carry that energy into the second half.
Domantas Sabonis finished with a team-leading 27 points on 13-of-19 shooting from the field, with seven rebounds and four assists in 32 minutes. De’Aaron Fox had 22 points on 9-of-19 shooting from the field and 4-of-6 from deep, with six rebounds, six assists, three steals and one block in 37 minutes.
DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk combined for 33 points.
Rookie big man Isaac Jones had a career night, finishing with 12 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting night.
It took a team effort, but the Kings found a way to take the fuel off the Rockets, who entered Tuesday’s game on a three-game win streak and have won five of their last six.
Scuffle in the second quarter
Tensions rose in the second quarter of Tuesday’s game, and none other than self-proclaimed NBA villain Brooks was in the middle of it.
It started when Brooks cleared a dead ball from Sabonis long after the whistle had blown, but Sabonis didn’t pay much attention to it.
His teammates did.
Monk and Fox exchanged a few words with Brooks and Jabari Smith Jr., eventually having to be separated after the benches were nearly empty at the 4:19 mark of the second quarter.
After several minutes of deliberation by the officials, during which Brooks was showered with boos as part of a theatrical jumbotron showcase, Monk, Brooks and Smith Jr. all technical errors.
And that lit a fire among the kings…
Stars shine under pressure
When things spiral out of control due to the Dillon Brooks effect, a team can respond in one of two ways.
Usually it works out in favor of Brooks, who knows how to get under the opponent’s skin.
While the Kings certainly didn’t shy away from the trash talk, they backed it up with their play.
That started with Fox, one of those players you don’t want to piss off.
After these technical fouls were assessed, the Kings ended the quarter on an 11-1 run. Fox had 10 of those points. He finished the game with 22 points.
Sabonis was steady as ever and played his role perfectly, finishing on 27.
And DeRozan was the veteran presence the team needed at this moment, showing leadership both on and off the floor. DeRozan added 16 on 6-of-15 shooting.
It takes a village to win big games, and the Kings Big Three did what they had to do on Tuesday night.
Shooters shoot
Sacramento hasn’t been a good three-point shooting team this season. There’s no other way to say it. Two of the sharpshooters, Kevin Huerter and Keegan Murray, have struggled to find a rhythm from beyond the arc this season.
Not on Tuesday.
Murray entered the game shooting 27.4 percent from downtown through 21 games. He was asked after practice Monday about his shooting slump, to which he responded that he wasn’t worried about it and is still confident he can turn things around.
His unwavering faith paid off on Tuesday and it appears the sharp-shooting rookie who broke records two seasons ago is back in Year 3.
Murray finished the game with 13 points on three triples, with six rebounds and three blocks.
Meanwhile, Huerter, who returned after missing the last match with an ankle injury, has also struggled mightily to get a shot down even when removed from the starting line-up and playing limited minutes off the bench.
He entered Tuesday’s game having averaged 27.7 percent from deep in 18 games this season. On Tuesday, he scored 13 points and made three 3-pointers.
Download and follow the Deuce & Mo Podcast
