The Kings found the switch to their beam, and defeated a few familiar faces in the process.
All eyes were locked on the matchup in California’s capital city as Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton made his return to Sacramento to face off against his former team, the Sacramento Kings. From the moment the game started, the intensity and energy in the building was raging. The Kings were looking to snap a three-game losing skid, and the Pacers were rolling in on a high after a game-winner in Los Angeles against the Lakers just a couple nights ago, and only one could exit with a victory. On Wednesday, it was the Kings, who won 137-114 to move to 11-9 overall.
The ball tipped off and it was apparent the Kings were going to lock in on their old running mate, Haliburton, and make him feel as uncomfortable as possible. Davion Mitchell (20 minutes, 8 points, 1 steal and 2 blocks) entered the game and immediately took the lead on the defensive end. It was apparent that Haliburton was feeling the intensity, as he would get charged with a technical foul — his first of the season — in the latter stages of the second quarter. Haliburton would finish the night with just nine points to go along with his 10 assists.
On the opposite end of the court, the Kings showcased why they are one of the top-tier offenses in the NBA. Their ball movement was crisp and the ball — as well as the players — were never sitting still. The Kings would continue their prolific scoring in the coming out of halftime and scoring 44 points in the third quarter, led by veteran forward Harrison Barnes, who finished with a game-high 22 points.
Clearly the matchup of De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton was the stat line everyone wanted to see, and after this showdown, you have to give the nod to Fox, who finished with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Domantas Sabonis was a swiss army knife in his own matchup against his former team, finishing with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists; you know, Sabonis things.
The new bulb for the beam came in right on time, as the Kings now get to shine their light over Sacramento after a dominating win. Sacramento will now hit the road to face off against a hobbled Los Angeles Clippers team on Dec. 3.