Hateful Eight: Kings Losing Streak Continues In Brooklyn
Feb 23, 2021, 7:06 PM | Updated: 7:11 pm
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Tyrese Haliburton & De’Aaron Fox combined for 50 points, but it wouldn’t be enough on Tuesday night
Although the Sacramento Kings had all of its key players back in the fold, the Brooklyn Nets found a way to get the job done late.
The Kings entered the fourth quarter trailing 98-96 before James Harden, Kyrie Irving and the Nets would outscore Sacramento 29-22 over the final 12 minutes of play.
Brooklyn would go on to win by a final of 127-118, sending the Kings to their eighth loss in a row.
With the loss, Sacramento falls to 12-19 on the season.
While the past eight games have not been fun for the Kings, Tuesday’s loss was far different that the several previous showings.
The team battled a loaded Nets team, keeping the deficit below seven points for most of the final quarter.
In the end, huge nights from Harden (29 points, 11 rebounds, 14 assists), Irving (21 points, five rebounds, seven assists) and Bruce Brown (29 points) would give Brooklyn enough fire power to stave off a run by a pesky Kings team.
Sacramento has not defeated the Nets on their home floor since December 20, 2017.
Bright Spots
Tyrese Haliburton continues to amaze.
The rookie guard went on a tear against the Nets, scoring 18 of his carer-high 23 points before the mid-way point of Tuesday night’s contest.
Haliburton arguably had his best showing of his career against Brooklyn, putting all of his talents on display against one of the strongest teams in the NBA.
Along with scoring 23 points, the 20-year-old also grabbed five rebounds, dishes nine assists and swiped three steals over 40 minutes of action.
Along with Haliburton, point guard De’Aaron Fox enjoyed a strong night offensively, scoring a team-high 27 points (five-of-eight from three-point range) to go along with eight assists.
Harrison Barnes returned from a three-game absence on Tuesday night after taking some time off to recover from a foot strain suffered during February 14th’s game against Memphis.
The return of Barnes meant that for the first time since February 9th, all of Marvin Bagley III, Richaun Holmes and Barnes were active for a game.
In his return to action, Barnes scored 18 points on seven-of-11 shooting over 37 minutes.
Richaun Holmes posted his ninth double-double of the season against Brooklyn, finishing with 18 points on nine-of-12 shooting from the field to go along with 11 rebounds.
Marvin Bagley III continued his strong stretch of play on Tuesday, scoring 12 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking two shots over 30 minutes of play.
It was Bagley’s ninth double-double of the season and his third over the past four games, a true sign that the number-two pick from the 2018 NBA Draft is coming into his own as a pro.
The schedule gets a little more forgiving for the Kings in the coming days, with matchups against the Knicks, Pistons and Hornets hopefully coming at the right time for the struggling franchise.
Coming Up
As the first-half of the 2020-21 regular season winds down, the Sacramento Kings have just four games remaining before the All-Star break.
Sacramento will travel to ‘The Big Apple’ on Thursday night for a matchup with Julius Randle and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Back on January 22nd, the Kings used a big night from Harrison Barnes (21 points, eight rebounds, seven assists) to come out on top in a 103-94 win at Golden 1 Center.
Be sure to tune in for all of the action right here on Sports 1140 KHTK, starting with pregame coverage at 3:00pm PST (Game Night) prior to a 4:30pm PST tip-off.
Upcoming Kings Schedule
- 2/25: @ New York Knicks
- 2/26: @ Detroit Pistons
- 2/28: vs Charlotte Hornets
- 3/3: vs Los Angeles Lakers
- 3/7: NBA All-Star Game
