Short-handed Kings’ third-quarter eruption sparks win over Jazz

Short-handed Kings’ third-quarter eruption sparks win over Jazz originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Despite missing Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter, Sacramento’s offense sprung to life in a decisive 127-106 win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday at Golden 1 Center.

With Monk sidelined for four to six weeks due to an MCL sprain and Huerter out for the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury, the Kings desperately needed a performance that sent a reminder to the league — but more importantly themselves — that Sacramento still is a team that can bang it out with the best of them despite being short-handed.

That’s exactly what the Kings did in Sunday’s win, with De’Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes and Keegan Murray leading the charge offensively for Sacramento. While it was a tight game early on — the Kings held just a four-point advantage at the half — Sacramento erupted for an explosive run in the third quarter that quelled any doubts about this team’s ability to light up the scoreboard in the absence of two potent offensive weapons.

With the game tied at 58 early in the third quarter, the Kings embarked on a 23-2 run over the next 5:13 of game action, effectively slamming the door on any scenario that resulted in a letdown game at home against an inferior opponent — an all too familiar outcome for Sacramento during the 2023-24 NBA season.

Following the game, guard Keon Ellis joined NBC Sports California’s “Kings Postgame Live” and revealed what sparked that sensational run that powered the Kings to victory.

“I think we just executed at an extremely high rate in that third quarter,” Ellis told NBC Sports California’s Kyle Draper and Morgan Ragan following Sunday’s win. “After they made their run, we made ours, and we just kept punching them and they had no answer for us. We got up and we just stayed on [them].”

“We just kept punching them and they had no answer for us.”

Keon on the Kings’ 23-2 run in the third quarter of tonight’s win 😤 pic.twitter.com/EdQpNdSOg9

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) April 1, 2024

Barnes was exceptional in Sunday’s win, setting the tone early with the game’s first basket while scoring 24…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/short-handed-kings-third-quarter-052324229.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-04-01 05:33:10

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