The Kings used a well-rounded offensive performance on Friday to beat the Pistons.
The Sacramento Kings rallied from an 8-point halftime deficit to beat the Detroit Pistons, 122-113, on Friday night. It was a team-wide effort that wrapped up the Kings’ six-game road trip.
Trailing 63-55 at the half, it seemed Sacramento didn’t have the juice to push a cellar-dwelling Pistons team on the final game of a lengthy trip. But then the third quarter happened. Sacramento started the quarter on a 28-8 run, and ultimately, that was the difference in Friday’s game.
All five Kings’ starters scored in double digits, having efficient nights and contributing to their win.
Domantas Sabonis continued to play like an All-Star, finishing with an efficient 23 points and 13 rebounds to go along with 7 assists. There wasn’t a Pistons’ big man that could match Sabonis’ post game, passing and overall basketball intelligence.
De’Aaron Fox had his second consecutive productive game, finishing with 24 points and 9 assists. After missing struggling for a multi-week stretch and missing two games with injury, Fox is starting to get his juice back, which is a positive development for Sacramento.
Keegan Murray got the better of the top-five pick duel with Jaden Ivey, finishing with 20 points, making four 3-pointerd on Friday, and helping jumpstart the Kings’ third-quarter rally. Ivey finished with just 5 points on 2-9 shooting, and fouled out of the game with a few minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
After a few stinker performances against the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, the Kings were able to grind out two consecutive victories, first over the Toronto Raptors and then on Friday against Detroit, to make it a .500 trip. In totality, that has to be considered a success, especially when you look at the teams Sacramento had to play against.
For the first time in what feels like forever, the Sacramento Kings will be back in front of the Golden 1 Center crowd on Monday against the Charlotte Hornets. The team will look to improve their 8-4 record at home then.