LOS ANGELES — There have been a pair moments Friday evening when Sacramento coach Mike Brown needs he might have loved being part of the second-highest scoring sport in NBA historical past.
Brown and his Kings although had been capable of savor one thing that’s extra essential in the long term — a hard-fought victory.
Malik Monk scored a career-high 45 factors, De’Aaron Fox had the go-ahead basket and completed with 42 and Sacramento outlasted the Los Angeles Clippers 176-175 in double additional time.
It’s only the second time within the NBA’s 76-year historical past that each groups have scored at the very least 170 factors. Detroit beat Denver 186-184 in triple additional time on Dec. 13, 1983, in what stays the highest-scoring NBA sport.
The Kings are third on the scoring record with the 176 factors and the Clippers fourth. A staff has scored 170 factors in a regular-season sport solely seven instances.
“From a fan’s standpoint, I can see how this sport would have been quite a lot of enjoyable to observe,” Brown mentioned. “There was unbelievable shot making and nice protection. There was high-level expertise that was on show. Kudos to the gamers.
Sacramento and Los Angeles additionally mixed for 44 3-pointers, tied for probably the most in a sport in NBA historical past.
Each groups additionally shot at the very least 58 % from the sphere and had been 80% or higher from the foul line.
“I believed was an awesome sport. Lots of momentum shifts,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue mentioned.
The Clippers had a 175-169 benefit with 1:57 remaining earlier than the Kings scored the ultimate seven factors, together with Fox’s jumper with 36.5 seconds remaining. The Clippers had the ultimate shot, however Nico Batum missed a 3-pointer on the buzzer.
The Kings additionally overcame a 14-points deficit late within the fourth quarter and six-point deficits in each additional time intervals.
“We simply caught with it. We bought down 12 at one level however simply had our heads up. We knew they had been going to allow us to again in,” Monk mentioned.
It was the primary time in franchise historical past the Kings have had two gamers rating at the very least 40 factors in a sport. It’s the second time it has occurred in an NBA sport this season after Cleveland’s Caris LeVert and Donovan Mitchell did it towards Boston.
Fox — who additionally had 12 assists and 5 steals — is simply the twelfth participant since 1973-74 with 40 factors, 10 assists and 5 steals in a sport. The final to do it was James Harden in 2019.
“We simply needed to grind this sport out. We had been on the second evening of a back-to-back however it’s what it’s. We have now a youthful staff than them,” Fox mentioned.
Kawhi Leonard scored a season-high 44 factors for Los Angeles and Paul George added 34. Leonard had 21 factors within the third quarter, which tied his profession excessive for factors scored in 1 / 4.
“I believed he did an awesome job attending to a spot with the 3-point photographs and attacking the basket,” Lue mentioned about Leonard.
Russell Westbrook began and made his Clippers debut after he cleared waivers Wednesday. He had 17 factors, 14 assists and 5 rebounds in 39 minutes earlier than fouling out with 1:49 remaining within the second additional time.
