What we learned as Kings’ late rally powers huge overtime win against Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SACRAMENTO — Their record might not indicate it, but Doug Christie has emphasized competitiveness for his Kings as they continue to figure out a solution to their now 7-22 record.
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In the last three games, at least, including Sunday’s win, they’ve shown that.
Sacramento overcame a 14-point deficit thanks to a late fourth-quarter surge fueled by Keegan Murray and a clutch corner 3-pointer by Russell Westbrook with 1.8 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime.
But that wasn’t the only clutch 3 of the night.
Dennis Schröder sank a 26-foot 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds remaining in overtime to secure the victory.
The Rockets still had time to steal the lead — and win — but Kevin Durant’s missed jumpshot ended those hopes.
The Kings snapped a five-game losing streak, and it was a true team effort.
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DeMar DeRozan’s 27 points led the way for the Kings, with Keegan Murray contributing 26 and Schröder adding 24 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds off the bench.
Rockets young star center Alperen Şengün dominated Sacramento for most of the game, finishing with 28 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in 40 minutes.
Here are the takeaways from Sunday’s win:
Extra basketball
The Kings got rolling at the right time, with Westbrook’s corner triple sending the game to overtime.
The action-packed thriller in Sacramento continued for five more minutes, as the game ended with a game-winning triple from Schroder.
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In the extra period, Westbrook fouled Jabari Smith Jr. at the 3-point line with 10 seconds remaining, and Smith Jr. knocked down two of his three attempts from the charity stripe.
But it was Schroder who called game in the end.
Malik returns
Malik Monk recorded two consecutive DNP-CD (Did Not Play, Coach’s Decision) in a road and home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday and Saturday.
Before Sunday’s game, Kings coach Doug Christie was swarmed with questions about the bizarre situation, and he hinted that Monk could see the floor against the Rockets.
He kept his word, although it took a while.
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Monk entered Sunday’s game for the first time of the night toward the end of the third quarter. And as expected, he was welcomed with a loud and warm welcome from the Golden 1 Center crowd.
Oh, he also instantly drove to the basket and made a layup within seconds of being on the court.
While being repeatedly asked about the decision to bench Monk in the past two games, Christie maintained it solely was based on it being a “logjam” at the guard position and simply a “numbers game.” He also stated that Monk was the “odd man out” since the Kings decided to emphasize defense and insert Keon Ellis into the rotation over Monk.
Ellis played just nine minutes in Sunday’s game, and has been struggling as of late. It could be possible that Ellis is back to being the “odd man out,” while Monk resumes his role.
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Keegan’s resurgence
Keegan Murray has struggled to find a consistent offensive flow since returning from a UCL injury.
But his confidence never wavered, and neither did his coaches’ or teammates’ in him.
He showed just why on Sunday.
Murray missed all six of his 3-point attempts in Saturday’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. On Sunday, his first attempt from downtown — a 30-point trey — was a make. He finished the first quarter with 10 points and scored just two points in the second quarter.
But he got going when it mattered most, helping fuel a late rally to keep Sacramento alive in the fourth quarter. Murray finished the game with 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field and 3 of 4 from downtown.
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