NBA: Kings snap losing streak, extend Nets’ skid
Buddy Hield #24 and Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Sacramento Kings reacts after Hill made a thee-point shot against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half of and NBA basketball game at Golden 1 Center on February 02, 2022 in Sacramento, California. Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images/AFP
Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton combined for the first nine points of the fourth quarter Wednesday night, allowing the Sacramento Kings to overtake the visiting Brooklyn Nets en route to a 112-101 victory in a duel of two teams on losing streaks.
Harrison Barnes had a team-high 19 points, while Hield and Davion Mitchell chipped in 18 apiece for the Kings, who snapped a seven-game skid. Sacramento was playing at home for the first time since getting swept on a five-game Eastern trip.
Article continues after this advertisementNic Claxton paced the Nets, losers of six straight, with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Kyrie Irving and James Harden combined to shoot 7-for-26 and totaled just 18 points.
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The Kings trailed 86-83 after three periods before Hield hit a short shot and Haliburton completed a three-point play to give the hosts the lead for good.
Article continues after this advertisementWhen Hield buried a 3-pointer on Sacramento’s next possession and added a free throw on a Harden technical foul, the Nets were facing an uphill climb at 92-86 with 10:21 to go.
Irving buried a jumper at the 8:11 mark to get Brooklyn within 97-93, but the visitors missed their next six shots — including three 3-point attempts by Irving and one by Harden — as the Kings went up 10. Harden finally ended the drought by sinking a layup with 4:17 remaining.
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Shooting just 7-for-21 in the final period, however, the Nets got no closer than six the rest of the way.
Irving, playing because the game was on the road, made just one of his four shots in the fourth quarter to finish with 14 points.
Harden was 1-for-5 in the final period and finished with just four points. He did find time for a game-high 12 assists and seven rebounds.
James Johnson had 18 points and Patty Mills 14 for the Nets, who shot just 8-for-25 on 3-point attempts and were outscored 42-24 from beyond the arc.
Seven of the nine Kings who saw action scored in double figures, including Haliburton and Damian Jones with 12 apiece, Chimezie Metu with 11 and Maurice Harkless with 10.
Metu (game-high 12 rebounds) and Haliburton (11 assists) recorded double-doubles.
