SACRAMENTO -- Kings fans have been waiting over a decade for their team to step up in a big game and come away with a victory. With the season on the line Friday night at Golden 1 Center, Sacramento was left disappointed one more time.
The Kings looked stunned coming out of the gate and the veteran Spurs jumped out to an early lead. On the strong play of Terence Davis, the Kings climbed back in the game and even enjoyed a lead on a few occasions.
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But with the game on the line early in the fourth, the Kings let go of the rope for just a few minutes and San Antonio jumped out to a big lead. The home team battled back, but you have to play 48 minutes against a team like the Spurs.
The Kings made a late run, but it wasn’t enough. The Spurs took home the 113-104 win and dealt a huge blow to the Kings’ play-in chances.
Here are three takeaways as the Kings fall to 29-38 on the season.
TD
It was an under-the-radar move at the deadline to land second-year guard Davis for a second-round draft pick. Against the Spurs, Davis was a catalyst for the Kings.
He knocked down his first six shots to open the game, including three 3-pointers. Before the two teams could get into the locker room for half time, he had 15 points and some major poster dunks.
Walton turned back to Davis early in the third quarter with Marvin Bagley struggling. He didn’t have the same type of impact, but he still managed to finish the night with 24 points on 10-for-16 shooting and he chipped in three steals.
Value
Like Davis, Moe Harkless was a value add at the deadline and in a big game, his veteran experience made an impact for the Kings.
Where Harkless was truly valuable was on the defensive end, where he put in tremendous work on All-Star DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan managed to score 23 points, but only five came in the second half as Harkless made adjustments.
Not known for his offensive punch, the rangy forward chipped in a solid 12 points, including a big time hammer to open the third and a pair of 3-pointers. Harkless added five rebounds, three assists and two steals in 39 minutes.
The Wright way
NBA
Win or lose, Delon Wright has been tremendous for the Kings over the last week. With De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton on the shelf, Wright has stepped into the starting lineup and stuffed the stat sheet.
In 39 minutes of action, the veteran point guard scored 17 points, dished out nine assists and grabbed seven rebounds. He was gritty, played the passing lanes and earned as many minutes as he can take in the final five games.