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Final Score: Kings defeat Cavaliers, 129-110
After defeating the Phoenix Suns on the road, the Sacramento Kings were in Cleveland for a matchup against the Cavaliers at the Quickens Loans Arena. De'Aaron Fox was terrific and played a key role to take the Kings past the Cavaliers.
The Kings started the game hot and clinched the first quarter, 38-27. Howbeit, the Cavaliers made a strong comeback in the second quarter and tied the game at half-time, 66-66. In the second half, Kings came back stronger, led by Fox and Hield.
The Kings led by seven points after the end of three quarters. They continued their dominance in the fourth quarter and went on to defeat the Cavaliers, 129-110. For the Kings, Fox was the high-scorer with 30 points and for the Cavaliers, Jordan Clarkson came off the bench for team-high 26 points. Let us take a look at three talking points from this game.
#3 Cavaliers' bench outscored the Cavaliers' starters
Apart from Collin Sexton, no one in the Cavaliers' starting lineup showed up last night. While Cedi Osman struggled from the field and scored just 10 points on 4-for-13 shooting, Rodney Hood only featured in 15 minutes and tallied just 4 points.
Tristan Thompson was not very effective either. Larry Nance Jr. looked just fine and scored 11 points along with 7 rebounds on 4-for-5 shooting. However, the bench players showed some spirit and helped the Cavs put up a fight.
Jordan Clarkson and Alec Burks combined for 48 points on 19-for-33 shooting, including 7-for-13 from beyond the arc. Clarkson has been fantastic this season and is providing the much-needed spark off the bench.
The Cavaliers' starters got outscored by the Cavaliers' bench, 58-52 and they are currently 5-20 this season.
#2 Four Cavaliers' players combined for 1-for-11 from three-point land
Playing without their All-Star sharpshooter, Kevin Love, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been struggling to shoot for the past few games. Against the Sacramento Kings, they only shot 10-for-26 from long range and that definitely impacted the momentum of the game.
Cedi Osman (1-for-6), Rodney Hood (0-for-2), Collin Sexton (0-for-2) and Jaron Blossomgame (0-for-1) combined for 1-for-11 from behind the arc and the Kings did a great job defensively, by not allowing the Cavaliers get any open looks.
The 23-year old Cedi Osman is an average three-point shooting small forward but has been taking a lot of shots this season but is not able to convert. However, against the Kings, Alec Burks and Jordan Clarkson combined for 7-for-13 and that is definitely a positive sign for the Cavaliers. They will be waiting desperately for Love to return back to the lineup.
#1 De'Aaron Fox's efficient double-double night
Stat line: 30 points, 2 rebounds, 12 assists and 3 steals on 75 % shooting
Playing in his second NBA season, De'Aaron Fox has been great so far for the Kings and is playing the point guard role to perfection. After scoring 16 points in the win against the Phoenix Suns on the road, Fox was once again the center of attraction as he put together a double-double to lead the Kings past Cavaliers.
Fox drilled a three-pointer to start the proceedings. With the Kings taking an early 15-6 lead, he tossed a dime to Willie Cauley-Stein who slammed it home. Fox used his dribbling skills and got to the rim on several occasions, beating the defenders.
The 20-year old finished the night with 30 points and 12 assists on very efficient 12-for-16 shooting and the Kings extended their win-streak to three games.
