Sacramento clinched a winning season for the first time since 2006.
The Sacramento Kings cemented a winning season on Thursday with a 101-96 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
It wasn’t Sacramento’s prettiest win of the season, but luckily they all count the same. Thursday game was a slog offensively for both teams, but in the end, Sacramento made plays when it counted.
De’Aaron Fox followed up his game-winner with an inefficient scoring game, but luckily other guys stepped up in his place.
Here are three takeaways from the victory:
Domantas Sabonis does what he wants down low
Sabonis was masterful on Thursday, finishing with 24 points and 21 rebounds. Nic Claxton and the rest of the Nets’ bigs were no match for Sabonis’ heft in the paint.
It seems like Sabonis knows when he has a skinnier center guarding him that he can just bludgeon them around the rim. He did just that on Thursday.
With Fox struggling, Sabonis was able to step up as the team’s second star.
Get better Red Velvet
Kevin Huerter suffered a scary hamstring injury in the first half and had to be helped to the locker room. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported mid-game that Huerter would get an MRI on Friday to determine the severity.
Losing Huerter for a few weeks would hurt, but losing him in a more permanent way would really hurt the Kings’ chances in the playoffs. With it being a hamstring injury, you worry about how it could affect his lift on his jumper once he comes.
The timing really sucks, because had been playing some of his best basketball as a King in the last several games.
Here’s hoping Huerter can come back healthy in time for the playoffs.
Kessler Edwards continues to impress
Edwards balled out in a major way against his former team, scoring 10 points on six shots and playing solid defense on the wing. Whether he wanted to or not, Edwards made a statement against a team that traded him away for nothing.
Despite having only been with the team for about a month, it’s impressive how well Edwards has blended in as a role player with this team. He doesn’t take bad shots, can move without the ball, make open threes, and has the length to defend opposing wings.
Edwards should remain a fixture in this rotation moving forward, especially if Huerter has to miss an extended stretch.