NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking points from Oklahoma City Thunder vs Sacramento Kings

Coming into this one, the Sacramento Kings had dropped two straight to Western Conference leaders Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets by a total of just four points. Understandably so, they had what it takes to beat reputed squads but were not able to pull through down the stretch for a win.

Well, that changed when they met the West's 3rd seed in Oklahoma and willed themselves to an emphatic 119-116 win on the road. Coach Joerger and co. look solid in their late playoffs push as they find themselves 1.5 games below the eighth seed Clippers.

"A game ago, it's, `Oh my gosh, we're so close," Kings coach Dave Joerger said. "We had the Warriors. We feel like we had the Warriors, and then they got away. So it's a little bit of relief, also."

On the other hand, the Oklahoma City Thunder have now lost three of their last ten matchups, still steady at the third spot on the West leaderboard with a 38-21(0.644) win-loss record. The win for the Kings brings them to 31-28(0.525) on the season, though still down at the ninth position.

Let's draw out some key takeaways from this respectable show of resiliency by the Kings against one of the best defensive teams in the league.

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#1 Sacramento's young core provided crucial assistance to leading-scorer Buddy Hield

D'Aaron Fox is averaging an impressive 17.2 ppg this year.

The recent NBA drafts have bestowed Sacramento with quality young talent. Two of such products appear in sophomore D'Aaron Fox and rookie Marvin Bagley III.

In this nail-biting clash, both contributed 19 points each to the Kings' winning cause while Bagley also recorded 10 rebounds coming off the bench. Moreover, the duo combined for 3 steals and 6 blocks for their team on the defensive end.

Buddy Hield is averaging career-high numbers in scoring this year, and his team-high total of 34 points was just another reminder of the same. He shot an impressive 12-of-22 from the floor whilst playing a team-high 36 minutes in the game.

"It's big, especially the way Russ and PG are playing," Hield said. "They're playing great. They're a great team, great defensive team, and we came out to be resilient."

#2 Westbrook piled up a solid double-double while MVP candidate Paul George had a rather forgettable night

Russell Westbrook is averaging a triple-double for a third straight year.

Just the previous night, PG13 had sank a floater that won the double-overtime thriller for OKC against the Jazz. The memory of a stunning 45-point showing by the MVP candidate was still fresh in everyone's mind when he took the floor against Sacramento on the second night of a back-to-back.

"It's was tough, but it's no excuse," George said. "Back-to-backs are in this league for a reason."

George ended up shooting a miserable 4-of-19 from the field and finished with a recent low of just 14 points. He pulled down 13 boards but at the same time recorded a rare zero-steal game, for the league leader in steals.

However, Westbrook took the load of the offensive production onto himself, coming up with 41 points and 10 rebounds on 50% shooting from the floor, committing 7 turnovers in the process. Despite his valiant effort, neither could he finish with a customary triple-double nor get the win for his team.

#3 The surging Kings outmatched Oklahoma City in almost all aspects of the matchup

Buddy Hield received a huge round of applause during the pre-game introductions.

The visitors shot 46% from the field as their opposition could only salvage a dismal 38%. The Kings out-assisted the Thunder 24-17 while shooting 37% from beyond the arc. With PG13 going through a rough patch, the Thunder shot a subpar 14-46(30.4%) from distance.

"For the most part, we made them shoot some tough ones, and they made them," George said. "It was just a night they made mid-range shots, but they've got guys who can make those plays."

Moreover, Sacramento effected 14 turnovers out of OKC whilst restricting themselves to just 9 on the night. The Kings did so by putting together 7 blocks & 7 steals against one of the best defensive teams in the league.

Despite the disparity on the stat sheet, the game was decided by a charge called on Brodie with 11 seconds remaining and a chance to tie the game.

"It was a charge," Westbrook said. "They called a charge. That's it. I can't change the call. It's over with now."