What we learned as Kings earn fifth straight double-overtime win over Heat originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SACRAMENTO – The Miami Heat made their annual trip to Sacramento Monday night and it was worth it, as the Kings narrowly escaped with a 123-118 double-overtime victory at a deafening Golden 1 Center.
Tyler Herro and the Heat did everything they could to end the Kings’ victory with a game that went down to the wire on the second night of a back-to-back for Sacramento, but instead , purple lasers will light up the Sacramento skyline for the fifth straight game as the team’s winning streak reached a new season high.
The Kings were down by as many as 17 points after a second-half collapse, but they showed life again late in the fourth quarter to spark a comeback and force overtime.
However, no one was ready to go home yet and a double overtime ensued.
Both teams played without their stars, with De’Aaron Fox out injured and disgruntled veteran Jimmy Butler serving the second match of his suspension.
Tyler Herro left for Miami, wasting no time in getting to work. He had 12 points in the first quarter and finished with a team-high 26 points.
For the Kings, all starters finished in double figures for the second straight game, with DeMar DeRozan leading all scorers with 30 points on 12-of-26 shooting.
It appears a page has turned for Sacramento, as Doug Christie’s record improved to 5-1 as interim coach since Mike Brown’s firing.
Here are the takeaways from the Kings’ victory:
Extra, Extra Basketball
With the Kings trailing by one point with 0.2 seconds left, Heat center Bam Adebayo fouled Keon Ellis to send him to the free throw line for two giveaways with a chance to win for Sacramento.
Instead, Ellis missed the first and made the second to force a double overtime.
And who else but DeRozan, one of the league’s most impactful players, to take over and help the Kings to victory. He had nine points in the five overtime minutes and finished with 30 total points.
A king against a hero
Playing without their star teammates, Malik Monk and Tyler Herro filled a needed void for their respective teams.
Monk was again playing without Fox, who missed the last two games with a glute injury, and stepped up massively for the Kings. in their brilliant victory against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.
He tied Steph Curry for a game-high 26 points, adding three rebounds, 12 assists, four steals and a plus/minus rating of plus-41 in 29 minutes.
On Monday night, Monk provided much-needed energy for Sacramento, finishing with 23 points, five rebounds, six assists and two steals in nearly 49 minutes.
Meanwhile, Herro, playing without Butler suspended for a second game, has been the constant Heat fans can count on during a drama-filled period. He is averaging 23.8 points and a team-high 5.1 rebounds this season.
Against the Kings on Monday night, Herro was 11 for 25 and finished with 26 points. But the Kings held it scoreless in both overtime periods.
3-point shot
The Kings have not proven to be a good 3-point shooting team this season.
It’s been difficult to see the damage they did beyond the arc from just two seasons ago to where they are today.
But the numbers don’t lie. And they haven’t lied in the last two games, when Sacramento shot the deep ball incredibly well. Against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, the Kings shot 21 of 47 (44.7 percent) from three-point range and 19 of 43 (44.2 percent) from downtown during Sunday’s Warriors kitchen.
Against Miami on Monday, however, Sacramento returned to mediocrity from beyond the arc.
The Kings shot just 13 of 38 (34.2 percent) from downtown on Monday, which is close to their average this season.
Ultimately, they found a way to do it elsewhere on the floor. But they hope to get back to their 3-point shooting ways.
