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What we learned when the Kings’ latest surge fell short in loss to the Heat originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SACRAMENTO — The Kings welcomed the Miami Heat to the Golden 1 Center on Monday night, fresh off what coach Mike Brown called his “most complete game” against the Los Angeles Clippersbut still suffered a 121-110 defeat.
Sacramento (33-24), which moved up to fifth place in the West after Sunday’s big win at the Angelshosted the seventh-place finish in the Eastern Conference for a chance to better establish itself in the faltering West.
Miami (32-25) was without several key players, including its star Jimmy Butlerwho was suspended one game after an altercation with New Orleans Pelicans last Friday. heat center Thomas Bryant was suspended three games for his role in the incident, and the Heat forward Nikola Jovic He was suspended one game for leaving the bench area and entering the fight on the court.
But as the basketball world has learned this season, the Kings are known for not performing at their level when facing a shorthanded team.
The Kings dug themselves into a hole in the third quarter that was too deep to climb out of, as their late fourth-quarter comeback fell short.
Here are the takeaways from the Kings’ loss:
Latest rally falls short
The Kings were outscored, to put it kindly, 36-19 in the third quarter.
Miami entered the fourth quarter with a 101-81 lead as subtle boos reached the Golden 1 Center, but the game was far from over.
Sacramento came alive again in the final frame.
Keegan Murray3 point shots and De’Aaron FoxThe key gene helped keep the Kings afloat, contributing a combined 22 points in the quarter.
But the Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. and center Bam Adebayo In the end he did enough to put Miami away. Although Sacramento outscored Miami 29-20 in the final 12 minutes of action, their third-quarter disaster was too much to overcome.
Rising Star Clock
Jaquez Jr. returned to his home state on Monday and received a warm welcome from fans inside the Golden 1 Center.
The 23-year-old, who was born and raised in Southern California and starred at UCLA, did not disappoint playing just 380 miles from home.
Jáquez Jr. has been a bright spot for Miami in his short NBA career so far, averaging 12.8 points on 48.8 percent shooting, with 3.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists on 29.4 minutes.
The young forward’s rookie efforts earned him a spot in the NBA’s Rising Stars event at All-Star Weekend earlier this month.
He finished Monday’s game with 26 points on 12-of-17 shooting, with four rebounds, two assists and three steals in 37 minutes.
Sacramento also has its own rising star: Murray. The sophomore forward was also selected for the annual event for the second time.
After an impressive rookie season with Sacramento, Murray is taking another step forward in his sophomore campaign as he works to become a two-way star in the league.
While his emphasis has been on the defensive side of the ball, Murray’s offense remains a crucial part of the team’s success, as was evident in Monday’s comeback near the fourth quarter.
The 24-year-old finished Monday’s game with 28 points, 10 of 14 on field goals and 6 of 7 on three-pointers, with five rebounds, one assist and three steals in 36 minutes.
Battle of the greats
Monday’s game had all eyes on the confrontation between the Kings center Domantas Sabonis and Adebayo.
Sabonis recorded his 21st triple-double of the season, with 14 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists.
But the triple-double machine was eclipsed by the big man on the other side of the court.
Adebayo was aggressive on both sides of the ball all night for Miami, finishing with 28 points on 11-of-18 shooting with 10 rebounds and seven assists in 36 minutes.
He was particularly impactful when it mattered most for the Heat, when he and Jáquez Jr. carried Miami over the finish line.
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