What we learned as Keon’s career night wasted in Kings’ loss to Hawks

What we learned as Keon’s career night wasted in Kings’ loss to Hawks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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SACRAMENTO – A down-to-the-wire game didn’t fall the Kings’ way as they fell 109-108 to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night at Golden 1 Center.

Despite a career night from Kings guard Keon Ellis, who finished with nine 3-pointers and 33 points off the bench, the Hawks fought until the end to secure a win on the second night of a back-to-back.

The Kings started Monday’s game looking like they were playing their sixth game in nine days. They were held to just six points through the first seven minutes of game action, but after trailing 22-6 with 5:14 remaining in the first quarter, Sacramento went on a 24-10 run to close out the opening frame.

Their 3-point shooting helped, making their final six 3-point attempts to close out the first quarter – including three straight within a 58-second frame.

Sacramento re-gained the lead in the second and led by as many as 11 points in the first half, but the Hawks never stopped fighting. Atlanta responded with a 22-13 run to close out the first half and tighten the deficit to two at the midway break.

And it was fair game from then on.

De’Aaron Fox, who scored 109 points over the last two games on 58.4-percent shooting, finished with 28 points.

Keegan Murray fouled out with 8:51 remaining in the game, finishing with just seven points on 3-of-9 shooting from the field and 1 of 3 from 3-point range, with seven rebounds, one assists and two steals in 22 minutes.

Playing without DeMar DeRozan (lower back tightness), Domantas Sabonis (lower back tightness) and Malik Monk (ankle), the Kings needed someone to step up and help Fox while playing their third game in four days.

Ellis stepped into that role perfectly, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for Sacramento.

Raining 3s on Ellis Island

Eventually, the torch must be passed.

After a weekend all about Fox, the hot hand transferred over to Ellis.

The 24-year-old entered Monday’s contest averaging 5.3 points while shooting 34.4 percent from 3-point range on 2.5 attempts per game this season. But Monday was The Keon…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/learned-keons-career-night-wasted-054220093.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-11-19 05:42:00

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