De’Aaron Fox scores 30 points as Kings dispatch Cavaliers
FILE — De’Aaron Fox #5 and Buddy Hield #24 of the Sacramento Kings celebrate in the second half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on March 17, 2021 in Washington, DC. Rob Carr/Getty Images/AFP
De’Aaron Fox scored 30 points, Tyrese Haliburton added a career-high 28 points on 11-of-15 shooting and the Sacramento Kings ended their six-game Eastern Conference road swing with a 119-105 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.
JaVale McGee led the way for Cleveland with 18 points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.
Sacramento used a dominant third quarter, including a 14-1 run over six-plus minutes, to give it separation through the second half.
The Kings held the Cavaliers to just 17 points in the period while pushing their lead as high as 18. Cleveland struggled to hit shots all night from both inside and beyond the 3-point arc, going 4-of-17 from long range while shooting 42.7 percent from the floor.
🦊 30 PTS
🦊 6 REBS
🦊 6 ASTS
🦊 W🎬 @swipathefox turned in a 𝙙𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙩 performance in the victory! pic.twitter.com/S4iftcxMs2
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) March 23, 2021
Collin Sexton was held to 15 points, more than nine below his season average. He shot 6-of-15 from the floor. Sexton dished a team-high seven assists.
The Kings capitalized on the Cavaliers’ shooting woes with a 49-39 advantage on the glass while shooting 54.4 percent from the field.
Sacramento shot 13-of-30 from 3-point range, led by Buddy Hield’s 5-of-10. He finished with 19 points.
Richaun Holmes made it four Kings starters scoring in double-figures, posting 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting to go with his game-high 16 rebounds. Sacramento’s fifth starter, Harrison Barnes, flirted with a triple-double at nine points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Darius Garland scored 17 points for Cleveland. Jarrett Allen and reserve Dean Wade added 11 apiece. Allen also collected nine rebounds.
Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff subbed out the entire starting five midway through the first quarter after a slow start. Cleveland tied the score at 59 before a Haliburton layup gave the Kings a 63-59 lead at the break.
The win gave Sacramento a .500 mark on its season-long road swing. The Kings and Cavaliers will meet again Saturday when Cleveland is on a four-game road swing.
