NBA: Kings fend off Thunder, extend run to six games
FILE – Keegan Murray #13 of the Sacramento Kings shoots the ball against the Houston Rockets at Golden 1 Center on January 11, 2023 in Sacramento, California. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/AFP
Rookie Keegan Murray recorded career-bests of 29 points and 14 rebounds and De’Aaron Fox added 25 points to pace the Sacramento Kings to a 118-113 victory over the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night.
Domantas Sabonis contributed 18 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds as Sacramento notched its sixth straight victory, one shy of its season high. Kevin Huerter scored 14 points and Harrison Barnes had 11 as the Kings won for the seventh time in the past eight meetings against the Thunder.
Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points on 16-of-23 shooting while posting his 26th game of 30 or more points this season. Gilgeous-Alexander also had seven assists but couldn’t prevent the end of the Thunder’s four-game winning streak.
Keegan Murray had a 𝘾𝘼𝙍𝙀𝙀𝙍 𝙉𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 at home against the Thunder 👑
🔥 29 PTS
🔥 14 REB
🔥 5/7 3PT pic.twitter.com/7W0yeQv5VK— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) January 21, 2023
Isaiah Joe matched his career high of seven 3-pointers for the second straight game while scoring 21 points for Oklahoma City. Joe drained his last trey with 2.3 seconds left to pull the Thunder within three before Fox scored on a layup with 1.1 seconds left to seal it.
Josh Giddey added 15 points and 10 rebounds and Luguentz Dort also had 15 points for Oklahoma City. Jalen Williams added 13 points.
Sabonis recorded his fifth triple-double of the season and 23rd of his career. He extended his franchise record to 21 consecutive double-doubles and his NBA-leading total in that category to 34.
Domas tonight vs. Oklahoma City ⤵️
🪣 18 PTS
🙌 13 REB
🤝 14 AST
👑 𝐓𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐂-𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐛 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝-𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 (𝟓) 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩-𝐝𝐮𝐛𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 pic.twitter.com/7QWSxGtdYO— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) January 21, 2023
The Kings shot 47.7 percent from the field, including 12 of 38 (31.6 percent) from 3-point range. Murray was 10 of 12 from the field and 5 of 7 from behind the arc.
Oklahoma City made 48.4 percent of its shots and was 16 of 40 (40 percent) from long distance.
Murray connected on three 3-pointers in a span of 78 seconds as Sacramento took a 108-100 lead with 5:10 remaining.
Sabonis made two free throws with 2:37 left to give the Kings a 112-102 advantage.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored on a layup with 22 seconds left to pull Oklahoma City within 114-108 before Murray made two free throws with 9.2 seconds remaining to give Sacramento an eight-point lead.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 16 first-half points and the Thunder led 66-59 at the break.
The Kings scored the first eight points of the third quarter to take a one-point lead. Gilgeous-Alexander later scored on a dunk to tie it with 20 seconds left in the period before Fox drained a trey as time expired to give Sacramento a 91-88 edge.
