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The LA Clippers looked to widen their lead over the Sacramento Kings in the standings and secure a potential tiebreaker as the top two teams in the Pacific Division faced off on Sunday night in Southern California at the Crypto.com.
In their first two matchups, the Clippers outpaced the Kings with sharpshooting, achieving 53.8% in their road win and 52.4% at home. Meanwhile, the Kings were limited to shooting 46.5 % and 41.9% in those games, respectively.
The Clippers continued their dominance, taking the lead in the first quarter, led by Kawhi Leonard 28-25. However, the Kings took a 58-51 lead, spearheaded by De'Aaron Fox's 16 points and +14 rating into halftime.
Top five highlights from Sacramento Kings vs LA Clippers
Here are the top moments from the marquee matchup between the two Pacific rivals:
#5 James Harden sends Chris Duarte flying on the floor
James Harden, who has amassed countless ankle breakers and step-back highlights, added one to his list on Sunday.
He had Chris Duarte guarding him one-on-one on the right wing, anticipating a drive to the rim and not bracing himself for a step-back.
Duarte flew to the ground, but Harden missed the 3-pointer as the ball rimmed out. However, the Clippers secured the tip-in by Daniel Theis for the easy and quick two points.
#4 De'Aaron Fox produces incredible finish over two defenders
Fox has been among the premier guards this season in isolation and transition.
His speed and fast-twitch first step are almost impossible to keep up with. He has also improved his finishing and strength around the rim.
Fox saw the veteran slow-footed PJ Tucker on him at the perimeter and ran past him with a crossover, driving to the rim.
Despite Theis' contest, Fox craftily finished with a tough finger-roll layup to give the Kings a 29-28 lead in the second quarter.
#3 James Harden crosses De'Aaron Fox and makes a tough finish
Soon after his Duarte highlight, Harden caught De'Aaron Fox with a hesitation dribble to a quick crossover to get a head-start driving toward the rim.
He avoided the help defense coming from Trey Lyles by changing his pace into a euro-step, blowing past Duarte for a tough layup.
#2 Domantas Sabonis poster on Ivica Zubac
Domantas Sabonis showcased one of his season highlights with a powerful dunk over Clippers center Ivica Zubac.
Sabonis' versatility is a key asset, particularly his playmaking ability. In this instance, the Clippers opted to give him space inside the 3-point line, with Zubac playing off him.
Recognizing the opportunity, Sabonis executed a quick give-and-go with Malik Monk, who delivered a perfect pass for Sabonis to take off and slam the ball home.
#1 Daniel Theis produces emphatic poster over Da'Aaron Fox and Chris Duarte
The FIBA World Cup champion stole the dunk of the night title from Sabonis with a monstrous dunk over two Kings defenders.
With a lackluster offense late on in the third quarter, Theis ignited the team and the crowd with a much-needed surge as he elevated over Fox and Duarte.
He capitalized on the Clippers' focus on defending the perimeter, receiving the ball under the rim as the Kings defense aimed to limit 3-point shots, compelling them to pass the ball inside.
The Kings eventually secured a 123-107 win on the road to trail the Clippers 2-1 in their season series.
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