By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Sacramento Kings showed they are no fluke after spoiling the Brooklyn Nets’ inter-conference visit last November 16, 2022, in the ongoing 2022-2023 NBA season.
Entering the matchup on a three-game winning streak, the Kings picked up where they left off and decimated Kevin Durant and the Nets, 153-121.
It was another fantastic performance for the young and upcoming team led by Mike Brown after outdueling the Nets in almost all facets of the game.
Sacramento survived a hot start from Durant who immediately dropped 12 points built from 3/3 shooting from the field after the first quarter.
However, soon as Durant sat down for some rest, the rolling Kings just stomped over Brooklyn in a blink of an eye and outscored them 37-24 in the second frame.
Despite Durant coming back at the sixth-minute mark, Sacramento’s equally spread offensive attack overwhelmed Brooklyn which helped them establish a 73-54 lead at the half.
It was a worse second half for the Nets as the Sacramento squad blew the game wide open midway in the third quarter when they ballooned their lead to as much as 28 points.
The Kings didn’t look back and continued to shoot the ball well, protecting their double-digit lead until the end of the final frame.
Brooklyn attempted for one last offensive rally at the start of the fourth but the Sacramento shooters buried six more threes in just 10 minutes that sent the Nets packing despite five minutes remaining in the game.
Terence Davis had a stellar shooting night after top-scoring the Kings with 31 big points along with nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
Superstar point guard De’Aaron Fox filled the stat sheets for the Kings and finished the blowout win with 14 points, nine assists, four rebounds, one steal, and a block.
Meanwhile, the Nets got 27 big points from Durant but wasn’t enough to deal with Sacramento’s quick fast break game.
Brooklyn will have a shot at redemption when they face the Portland Trailblazers tomorrow while the Kings will seek to extend their winning streak when they square off with the struggling San Antonio Spurs.
