Ellis shines, but Kings suffer 109-108 loss to Hawks

Nov 18, 2024, 9:47 PM | Updated: 10:03 pm

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 18: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks goes up for a shot on Keo...

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

Facing a one-point deficit with the ball in De’Aaron Fox’s hands and less than ten seconds on the clock, it seemed the Sacramento Kings were on the verge of securing another thrilling win.

Fox, the reigning Western Conference Player of the Week after scoring 109 points in a 24-hour period over the weekend, made his move in an attempt to secure a game-winner, but Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels stripped the ball free as time expired to hand the Kings a 109-108 loss at Golden 1 Center on Monday night.

It was a tough way to end a four-game homestand for Sacramento (8-7), who will now head into a three-day break before their next game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.

Keon Ellis (career-high 33 points) put on a show, but the Kings fell just short of delivering another close win on their home floor.

Kings to shoot 9+ 3PT in a single game ⤵️

Mike Bibby
Omri Casspi
Buddy Hield
Keegan Murray
and now, 𝐊𝐞𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐬. https://t.co/tbSGJt6C5c pic.twitter.com/g5vd9Q2tsa

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) November 19, 2024

Kings vs. Hawks recap & takeaways

During Saturday night’s win over Utah, Sacramento was able to dig deep into its bench and outlast the Jazz thanks to contributions from numerous players (and, of course, De’Aaron Fox’s 49-point outburst).

With Fox dialed in, the Kings went punch-for-punch with Utah every step of the way. Unfortunately for Sacramento, they got dealt a huge blow early Monday night against Atlanta as Fox and the Kings’ offense looked stagnant out of the gates.

The Hawks caught fire from the perimeter before fans could fully settle into their seats, knocking down all six of their attempts from deep to start the night. Atlanta took a 16-point lead midway through the quarter before Fox checked back into the game and did what he does best.

Fox (nine points in the first quarter) paced a 17-6 run to end the period, one that kept the Kings from letting things get out of hand in a hurry.

Although Sacramento started the night one-of-seven from three-point range, triples began to fall in bunches for the Beam Team.

Keon Ellis established a new season-high for points scored this season during the first half, scoring 18 points on a blistering six-of-eight shooting from three-point range to join forces with Fox and inject life into Golden 1 Center.

Ellis, Fox (14 first-half points), and a red-hot start from beyond the arc (14-of-24 during the first half) helped the Kings overcome a 16-point deficit and take a two-point lead into the third quarter.

KEON ELLIS IS SCORCHING FROM 3 🔥🔥

6-6 IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES 🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/wsHhQRWPPN

— NBA (@NBA) November 19, 2024

The incredible shooting continued into the second half for Ellis, who passed his previous career-high of 26 points well before the end of the third period.

Ellis became just the fifth player in franchise history to hit nine or more triples in a single game, joining teammate Keegan Murray (12), Buddy Hield (three times), and Omri Casspi (nine).

Sacramento and Atlanta continued to trade baskets well into the fourth as both teams failed to create separation down the closing stretch, but with the game on the line late, it was a matter of boiling frustrations that resulted in the Hawks gaining control.

Fox, who received his first technical foul of the season in the fourth quarter, failed to receive calls down the final stretch, although the guard felt he had absorbed enough contact to take multiple trips to the foul stripe.

A De’Andre Hunter triple, coupled with Fox’s technical, handed Atlanta a four-point play with just over three minutes to go. With the Kings staring at a five-point deficit, Ellis went to work at the line to cut the Hawks lead to 109-108 left.

Sacramento picked up multiple stops on Atlanta’s next possession and ensuing attempt on the offensive board, allowing Fox to take a crack at sending fans home with a walk-off win. Fox made his move, but Atlanta’s top defender, Dyson Daniels, stripped the Kings guard and held onto the ball–narrowly avoiding stepping out of bounds–before time expired.

SIRI PLAY BANDIT BY DON TOLIVER pic.twitter.com/RQRiSLmK2i

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 19, 2024

When asked about the final play, Fox didn’t hesitate to state that he felt there was contact on his game-winning attempt.

“The refs didn’t make a call,” Fox said of Daniel’s game-sealing swipe. “Two-minute reports are always funny. Can’t do anything about it now. The hand is part of the ball when it’s convenient.”

While the Kings will have to wait and see what the NBA’s Two-Minute Report says on Tuesday, turnovers (17) and ice-cold shooting during the second half cost Sacramento down the final stretch.

After shooting 14-of-23 (60%) from three-point land during the first two quarters, the Kings went six-for-23 (26%) in the second half, as Ellis (33 points) and Fox (28 points) were the lone Sacramento players to score over 12 points during the loss.

Keegan Murray’s struggles continued as the third-year forward fouled out in a season-low 22 minutes, scoring seven points on three-of-nine shooting in the process.

Although Murray didn’t have it on the offensive end, Trey Lyles (12 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists) had a strong showing while filling in for the injured Domantas Sabonis in a small-ball five role.

The Hawks entered play as a top-five paint defense this season, and they looked the part, holding Sacramento to 32 paint points.

Three days without game action should do wonders for the Kings, with multiple players dealing and heavy minutes during the early stages of the regular season. Head coach Mike Brown plans to give his team a much-needed day off on Tuesday before getting back into the gym for practices on Wednesday and Thursday.

Injury Updates

Kings guard Malik Monk (right ankle sprain) has been cleared for individual on-court workouts. He will be re-evaluated in the coming days.

Kings guard-forward DeMar DeRozan (lower back recovery) has made significant improvement and is considered day-to-day going forward.

Kings center Domantas Sabonis (lower back tightness) has made significant improvement and has been cleared for individual on-court workouts. He is considered day-to-day going forward.

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

Sacramento will enjoy a much-needed three-day break before facing the Los Angeles Clippers at the Intuit Dome on Friday night.

The Kings and Clippers will cross paths in another NBA Cup group play game, with Sacramento (0-1) and Los Angeles (0-1) each seeking their first win in the Western Conference Group A standings.

Be sure to catch all of the Kings vs. Clippers action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage starting at 2:00 PM PT on The Drive Guys before action tips off at 7:30 PM PT from Inglewood.