From the South Beach flu to the South Beach diet. The Sacramento Kings spent 17 years trying to win in Miami before last season’s shocking buzzer beater. After trouncing the Heat for a 123-113 victory Monday evening at AmericanAirlines Arena, now they are feasting.
The Heat jumped out to an early lead, but they were no match once the Kings got it rolling. After heading to the half tied at 51-51, Sacramento outscored the home team 43-32 in the third on the hot shooting of Buddy Hield.
Miami made a late run, cutting the Kings lead to eight with 7:13 remaining in the fourth. But Sacramento got out in the open court and finished the Heat off for their third straight win.
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Here are six notes as the Kings move to 4-3 on the season.
The Bahamian Bomber
Buddy got hot. Really hot. The Kings third-year guard has had some nice nights early in the season, but against the Heat, he knocked down 4-for-6 from long range for 23 points. He crashed the glass for eight rebounds and dished out five assists as the Kings picked up their third straight win.
Overpowered, but not outdone
NBA
Willie Cauley-Stein got lit up early by Hassan Whiteside. The former King went off for 13 of his 24 rebounds in the first quarter, but Cauley-Stein didn’t give in. He ran the floor and continued to play his game. He finished with a huge 26-point, 13-rebound double-double to lead the Kings in both categories.
Fox took a licking, but kept on ticking
De’Aaron Fox appeared to be struggling with a rib issue late in the game, but Dave Joerger stuck with his starter and let him play through it. In another matchup against a top tier point guard, Fox came out on top, finishing with 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting with eight assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals. He turned the ball over six times, but you’ll take it in a win.
Bjelica does it all
Joerger can’t keep Nemanja Bjelica off the floor. Early in the season, the veteran forward is everything the Kings needed at the four and much more. Against the Heat, he missed a few shots early, but still managed to drop in 19 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block in 33 minutes. Stat stuffers make winning easier.
The return of Kosta
Kosta Koufos missed the first six games of the season with a hamstring strain. With Whiteside crashing the glass early, Joerger turned to the veteran for his first action of the season. Koufos looked rusty, but he could really help this Kings squad as a teach and coach on the floor. With Koufos in, Harry Giles sat out as a healthy scratch.
Stat of the night
There are plenty of good stats to choose from the Kings’ big win. Sacramento shot 49.7 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from long range. They dished out 28 assists and turned the ball over 14 times. The Kings outscored the Heat 18-8 on fastbreak points and 68-38 on points in the paint, but all of these stats take a back seat to this tweet from Kings media relations coordinator, Rahsaan Gethers.