Kings 113, Rockets 103
Sacramento came into Houston tonight to play their second game of a four-game roadtrip. The Kings were winners of two straight and were looking to see if they could replicate their winning ways against a winning team in the Rockets, who had won 5 of their last 7 games coming into the night. Not only that, but tonight was a test to see if the new-look Kings could get a win against a good team and not just a bottom-feeder.
The game got off to a rough start from a Sacramento perspective when Domantas Sabonis limped off the court with a hamstring injury just a minute into the game. The Kings persevered through the early inconvenience and shot out to a speedy 19-3 lead. Jonas Valanciunas re-emphasized the importance of his acquisition early with the absence of Sabonis. He grabbed 5 rebounds and helped out defensively throughout the game. Valanciunas went on to drop 15 points, 14 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocks and his production more than made up for what the Kings lacked without Sabonis available. The Kings momentum came to an abrupt stop when they went to their small ball lineup with Trey Lyles at center. The Rockets cut the lead to just four heading into the second quarter, going on a 12-1 run at one point. In most cases, that would be a positive for a road game against a good team. But having had a lead of 16 in the same quarter, this was a worrying stretch for Sacramento.
The Kings were able to withstand the Rockets good play as they picked back up their momentum from the first quarter. Markelle Fultz and Jake Laravia made their presence felt off the bench. As we have grown accustomed to, they brought it on the defensive end of the floor for the Kings. Nonetheless, the Rockets continued to inch their way to the lead , and they got just that before halftime arrived. Alperen Sengun boosted his Rockets team to a 54-51 lead with three minutes to go in the half. He had 17 points in the first half and ended up with 30 points (10/16 FG, 10/17 FT) and 10 rebounds. However, the Kings showed resiliency and several guys pitched in with efforts on both ends to produce a 63-59 halftime lead.
The teams continued to battle back and forth and things got chippy. Dillon Brooks and DeMar DeRozan both got technical fouls as they chirped at each other. Valanciunas and Sengun got super physical with each other on both ends of the floor, with perhaps an errant elbow or two being thrown around. And Brooks, unsurprisingly, got into a verbal sparring session with another King – this time with Zach LaVine. The Rockets garnered a lot of “touch” fouls which let them hang around the game throughout the period. At one point, Sengun had 13 free throw attempts in the game compared to just 12 for the entire Kings team. It didn’t matter much for Sacramento, who played through it and simply played good, solid basketball for the quarter. They reaped the rewards of their efforts and took an 89-82 lead into the last quarter of play.
The Kings continued their push to a victory with a strong start to the final quarter. Keon Ellis was part of that strong start, claiming his fifth steal of the night (a career high) to take part in a good fourth quarter stretch. Ellis had a spectacular game, though his full statline would not necessarily tell you that. He was in all the right places at the right times on defense in this game. His 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals and 1 block were crucial in this one. Sacramento maintained a comfortable lead for the remainder of the quarter and came out with a big win in the midst of a tight Playoff race. Doug Christie and his Kings are now 18-10 under his coaching, further pushing the “Remove the Interim Tag” agenda for Christie and his supporters.
Next up on the schedule, an even more important game against a direct competitor for a Playoff spot – the Dallas Mavericks. We will see if Sabonis will be available, but even if he’s not, the Kings have to feel confident in Valanciunas and his ability to provide center support for them in Sabonis’ potential absence. The Kings have the season tiebreaker over Dallas clinched, but a win would still go a long way in the standings.
Kings Scribe 
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