SACRAMENTO -- The Kings have won six straight games.
Sacramento has played 1,416 contests since the last time the franchise won six straight contests, dating back to a victory over 20-year-old LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 20, 2005.
But yes, the Kings have lit the victory beam once again. This time, it was a 137-129 victory over the Detroit Pistons at Golden 1 Center.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE Detroit was playing without budding stars Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey. Rookie Jaden Ivey balled out and had the Pistons up five points with five minutes to play.
But then, the Kings' star core took over.
Domantas Sabonis grabbed several clutch offensive rebounds to keep possessions alive. Kevin Huerter woke up in the fourth quarter and scored 13 points in that frame alone. De'Aaron Fox heard "MVP" chants as he knocked down clinching free throws in the final minute.
Here are three takeaways from Sacramento’s latest win:
NBA
Star takeover
Donovan Mitchell recently passed up De'Aaron Fox for the NBA lead in clutch points -- in other words, points scored over the game's final five minutes when the score is within five points.
Spida's time on top didn't last long.
Fox was dominant down the stretch, sprinting down the floor in transition and throwing down a massive hammer over Ivey.
Fox, who finished with a team-high 33 points, was a perfect 9-of-9 from the free-throw line.
Huerter struggled with his shot all afternoon but knocked down three treys in the final quarter and logged 24 points. Sabonis notched a double-double with 15 points and 13 boards.
Rookie showcase
When the Kings moved up three spots in the 2022 NBA Draft Lottery to the No. 4 overall pick, chatter emerged that the team was deciding between Keegan Murray, a smooth forward out of Iowa, and Jaden Ivey, a run-and-gun electric guard from Purdue.
The Big Ten products faced off in the NBA for the first time Sunday at Golden 1 Center.
If Ivey was trying to send a message to Sacramento’s front office, it was received. At halftime, Ivey had a team-high 15 points and already had tied a career high with four triples. He finished one bucket short of a career-best 26, with 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting.
Murray had just six points at halftime on three field-goal attempts but woke up in the third quarter. While his 3-pointers weren't falling -- he went 1-for-6 from deep -- he got to the free-throw line and logged 13 points.
Bagley’s return
Marvin Bagley III made his -- uh, anticipated? -- return to Golden 1 Center on Sunday night.
Bagley was greeted by thunderous boos upon making his return. He didn’t help his cause by starting 0-for-3 from the field, much to the delight of fans in purple.
Bagley briefly exited the game in the first quarter with an apparent hand injury but returned to start the second frame. In 21 minutes, he finished with 15 points and six rebounds. He had two big highlights throughout the night -- a put-back dunk in the second quarter and a big swat of a Sabonis shot.
Still, though, he couldn't lead his new team to victory.