De’Aaron Fox had an incredible performance in overtime to help the Sacramento Kings defeat the Phoenix Suns 127-118. It was a close game throughout, and the final few seconds of regulation saw several lead changes. But once overtime began, Fox took over and helped seal a big win on the road for the Kings.
Both teams led by 11 at different points in the game, but things came down to the wire, and a late foul on Devin Booker sent him to the line once to tie the game, negating Keegan Murray’s potential game-winning tip. In the end, the Kings were able to close things out in overtime.
De’Aaron Fox, as mentioned, was the star of the show for the Kings, with 21 points (10-23 FG), 11 rebounds, and eight assists, including eight points in overtime alone. DeMar DeRozan also had a solid night, with 34 points (14-25 FG), three rebounds, and three assists. Keegan Murray had a big night as well, scoring 14 points (5-11 FG) and grabbing 14 rebounds.
The Suns had to contend without Kevin Durant, which meant Devin Booker and Bradley Beal stepping up. And step up, they did, with Beal putting up 28 points (9-18 FG), eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block. Devin Booker also had a big game, with 22 points (9-22 FG), 12 assists, and two steals.
Here are our three keys for the Kings’ massive win over the Suns:
Kevin Durant’s Absence Felt Tonight
The Suns were definitely missing Kevin Durant tonight, as the former MVP was injured in their previous game with a calf strain. Durant will miss at least two weeks, and if tonight is a sign of things to come during his time away, the Suns will struggle to keep their top spot in the Western Conference.
Durant has been having a great season so far, averaging 27.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. KD is the best player on the Suns and by far the most experienced player when it comes to championship pedigree. His loss is going to be felt by Mike Budenholzer’s side.
Ryan Dunn was trusted to start in Durant’s absence tonight, and he did poorly under the circumstances, as he put up just eight points (4-7 FG), two rebounds, and one steal. Dunn was poor from the three-point line, going 0-3 from beyond the arc.
Kings Overcome Poor Three-Point Shooting
The Kings were able to win the game despite their shoddy three-point shooting. As a team, the Kings shot just 11-37 from beyond the arc, giving them a meager 29.7% from deep. By contrast, they shot very well from the field, going 50-102 with a percentage of 49.0%.
De’Aaron Fox, for all his heroics tonight, shot an abysmal 0-6 from the three-point line. DeMar DeRozan went 100% from deep, but was gunshy, shooting just once from three. Kevin Huerter was the only decent shooter from range, going 5-9 in the game.
The Suns were better than the Kings while shooting from deep, but only marginally, as they shot 18-57 from the field, with a percentage of just 31.6%. But their weak shooting from the field – 44/105, 41.9% – meant the Kings could survive their poor shooting night.
Suns’ Offense And Defense Collapse In Overtime
The Suns weren’t able to carry forward their momentum from the fourth quarter into overtime. In the final five minutes of the game, the Suns gave up 16 points, which reflected their defensive weaknesses in a way that their start to the season hadn’t. Furthermore, they were mediocre offensively, as they scored just seven points in the added time.
Devin Booker went quiet from the field during overtime, as he attempted just one shot and scored zero points in the period. Bradley Beal was the only decent player for the Suns in overtime, as he scored all seven of the Suns’ points in the period. It was a dismal offensive stretch for the Suns in overtime, and one that the Kings punished them for.
The Suns’ defense also had no answer for De’Aaron Fox, who took over the game in overtime. Mike Budenholzer will reflect on this loss and try and fix things quickly so that the team doesn’t let their incredible start to the season go to waste. The Suns were toppled off the top of the conference by the Warriors, who now have the first seed, despite all three teams having a record of 8-2.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
