The Sacramento Kings posted their second home victory over the Denver Nuggets in two nights, beating the future NBA champs 115-110.
Domantas Sabonis had an exceptional return after missing the first game, scoring a season-high 36 points on 15-for-20 shooting. He also pulled down 11 rebounds and blocked three shots. De’Aaron Fox added 24 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.
Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 35 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. They sorely missed Jamal Murray, who scored 26 points in the first game but sat this one out.
The Kings improved to 20-13, two games better than their real-life pace.
2022-23 Sacramento Kings Season Replay
Unlike the previous night, the Kings got off to a slow start in this one, as the Nuggets jumped out to an 11-2 lead. But the Kings responded with a 10-0 run to take their first lead. At the end of a low-scoring first quarter, it was 21-19 Sacramento.
After the Nuggets tied the game at 21 to start the second period, the Kings scored the next five points and led for the remainder of the quarter. Fox had a basket in the final minute to put the Kings up by 10 at 46-36, and they would take that lead into the break.
The Kings took a 14-point lead at 52-38 early in the third quarter, and it was still a 10-point lead at 66-56 with under six minutes to go. But Denver picked things up, and a three-point play by Jokic put Denver ahead 74-73, the Nuggets’ first lead since midway through the first quarter. It was tied at 77-77 after three quarters. After scoring just 36 points in the first two quarters, the Nuggets put up 41 in the third quarter.
The Kings scored the first six points of the fourth quarter and never trailed again. They would go up by eight on four occasions, last at 93-85, but couldn’t get it back into double-figures. The Nuggets would close the gap to one point twice, first at 99-98 with under four minutes to play, and at 102-101 with less than three minutes to go. But Sabonis had a basket and Harrison Barnes hit a three-pointer to put the Kings back up by six, and they would hold on.
This game was played with Bank Shot Basketball.
ROGER SPORTS & GAMES 