Hield, Bjelica Lead Kings Over Mavericks
Dec 8, 2019, 6:43 PM | Updated: 6:43 pm
(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Dallas had won 11 of their last 12 contests before Sunday’s loss to Sacramento
On the heels of an epic meltdown on Friday night in San Antonio, the Sacramento Kings needed a momentum shifting win.
That’s exactly what they got on Sunday night in Dallas.
Nemanja Bjelica tied his career-high with 30 points and Buddy Hield scored 26 points as the Kings defeated Luka Doncic and the red-hot Dallas Mavericks by a final of 110-106 at American Airlines Center in Texas.
Sacramento jumped out of the gates to a fast start, taking a 36-27 lead into the second-quarter thanks to 12 points from Bjelica and 11 points from Hield in the opening period. The Kings, who led by as many as 24 points, would take a 66-46 lead into the half.
After trailing by double-digits for most of the second half, Dallas would go on to cut the deficit to 108-106 with a chance to tie or win with 13 seconds remaining. Doncic’s six-foot attempt to tie the game hit front iron, with Richaun Holmes grabbing the miss to give Sacramento the possession with just four seconds remaining. Out of the timeout, Bjelica got free from his defender for a wide-open lay-in to seal the victory.
The Kings went wire-to-wire on Sunday night, never giving up their lead to Dallas.
It was a team effort for Sacramento, as six of eight players that saw the floor scored double-figures. Harrison Barnes finished with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Richaun Holmes scored 12 points to go along with nine rebounds. Trevor Ariza and Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 10 points each off of the bench in the win.
Sunday’s win would not have happened if it wasn’t for the performances of Buddy Hield and Nemanja Bjelica.
Hield would finish with 26 points on 10-of-15 from the field, including five-of-six from beyond the three-point line. Buddy also found ways to be productive off of the ball, dishing five assists and grabbing four rebounds.
Bjelica nearly topped his career-high, tying the mark with a 30-point showing. The veteran forward shot 13-of-18 from the field, including four-of-seven three-point attempts.
For the Mavericks, Tim Hardaway Jr. had a team-high 29 points in the loss. Luka Doncic scored 27 points on 10-of-24 from the field to go along with seven rebounds and eight assists.
Doncic is now 0-4 in his career against Sacramento.
Coming Up
It will be a quick turnaround for the Kings, who will head to Houston to face the Rockets on Monday night to complete their road-trip.
Sacramento has not won in Houston since December 31, 2013.
Catch all of the action right here on Sports 1140 KHTK, with pregame coverage beginning at 4:30pm with tip-off following at 5:00pm.
