Kings Hold Off Raptors For Third-Straight Win
Jan 29, 2021, 7:50 PM | Updated: 7:58 pm
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
For the second consecutive game, Sacramento had at least five players finish in double-figures
Things looked very bleak for the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday morning, as the franchise had lost nine of their last 11 games prior to facing the Orlando Magic.
It seems that all the Kings needed to snap out of their funk was a trip to Florida.
The Kings picked up their third win in-a-row on Friday night, as they defeated the Toronto Raptors by a final of 126-124 at Amalie Arena in a game that came down to its final seconds.
Rookie guard Tyrese Haliburton came up big late, drilling a huge three-pointer with 44 seconds remaining to put the Kings up 120-116.
Haliburton’s three was enough to hold off a big fourth quarter run by the Raptors, as Toronto would fall just short after outscoring Sacramento 33-22 in the final frame.
“He’s got the clutch gene,” head coach Luke Walton said after the game.
The impressive rookie posted a career-high 11 assists to go along with six rebounds and 10 points, the 20-year-old’s first double-double of his young career.
For the third consecutive game, the Kings put forward a very balanced effort, with six players finishing in double-figures.
Since losing by 19 to the Los Angeles Clippers on January 20th, Sacramento has not lost a game while looking very poised on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.
As they did in their first matchup against Toronto on January 8th, the Kings burst out of the gates on Friday night.
Thanks to a 13-point first quarter performance by Harrison Barnes, Sacramento took a 36-24 lead into the second period. Barnes was feeling it in the first-half, scoring 15 points on three-of-four shooting from three-point land to pace the Kings to a 10-point lead at the break.
Sacramento would stay in control for most of the second-half, taking a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter after another strong third period.
The Raptors would refuse to roll over, cutting the Kings lead to 112-107 with just over five minutes remaining in regulation.
Thanks to big plays late from Haliburton and De’Aaron Fox, the Kings were able to hold off a late charge by Pascal Siakam (game-high 32 points) and Fred VanVleet (26 points).
Two made free-throws by Fox to put the Kings up 126-121 with four seconds left would ice things for good, giving Sacramento a gritty road victory.
Barnes would be the leading scorer for the Kings, as the veteran would finish with 26 points on eight-of-13 shooting in the win to go along with seven rebounds and five assists in yet another All-Star caliber performance.
Through his first 18 games, the 28-year-old is enjoying the best start to a season of his career. It seems as if Barnes is in a perfect setting for his skillset, as players like De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Marvin Bagley III allow the forward to get free and create on the offensive end.
During the 2016-18 seasons while playing in Dallas, Barnes was seen as the number-one option for most of his time in a Mavericks uniform.
Opposing defenses would often focus on the former North Carolina Tar Heel, taking him out of the game with no other scoring threats on the roster (pre-Luka Doncic, of course).
On this Kings team, Barnes has played fantastic basketball in his supporting role, posting 16.7 points per game on a career-high 41-percent from the three-point line.
De’Aaron Fox continued his All-Star level play against the Raptors, as the star guard dropped 24 points on eight-of-14 shooting to go along with four assists and a steal.
Buddy Hield was in his bag yet again against the Raptors, finishing seven-of-12 from the field while drilling five of his eight three-point attempts en route to a 22-point performance.
Hield, who had only topped the 20-point mark on two occasions prior to Wednesday night’s win in Orlando, has scored 51 points over the past two games.
The veteran marksman is averaging 18.6 points per game while knocking down an unbelievable 52-percent of his three-point field goal attempts over his five games.
Hassan Whiteside had his best showing of the season on Friday night, scoring 16 points on six-of-seven shooting from the field to go along with seven rebounds over 20 minutes.
Whiteside was not the only member of the Kings bench to have a big night against Toronto, with backup point guard Cory Joseph posting his highest scoring output of the season.
Joseph finished in double-figures for the first time since opening night on December 23rd, as the veteran guard would finish with a season-high 16 points and four assists.
The Kings bench was huge on Friday night, outscoring the Raptors bench 42-21 during the narrow victory.
After a very rough stretch, Sacramento (8-10) has found life over its past three games, pulling their record back to within two games of the .500 mark.
Coming Up
It will be a quick turnaround for the Kings, as they will travel just a few hundred miles south to face the reigning Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat on Saturday evening.
Sacramento split last season’s series with Miami, with both teams winning on their own floor.
Be sure to tune in for all of the action, starting with pregame coverage at 4:30pm PST with tip-off following at 5:00pm PST.
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule
1/30 – @ Miami Heat
2/1 – @ New Orleans Pelicans
2/3 – vs Boston Celtics
2/6 – vs Denver Nuggets
2/8 – @ Los Angeles Clippers
