By Morris Phillips

Apparently, you don’t want to get into a track meet with the run-and-gun Sacramento Kings.

The Kings needed a quarter (they trailed 28-17 after the first) to get completely revved up, but once they reached warp speed, the Heat, playing in front of their sparse crowd at American Airlines Arena, were made to capitulate.

Sacramento put up 106 points over the final three quarters–making 12 3-pointers in the game along with a slew of fastbreaks–and raced past the Heat, 123-113. The Kings outscored Miami by 22 points in the second and third quarters alone. They led 82-65 after Marvin Bagley III buried a 3-pointer with 4:17 remaining in the third quarter and coasted from there.

“It’s fun to play like this–playing fast, everyone getting the touches, everybody sharing the energy,” said Willie Cauley-Stein, who had 26 points and 13 rebounds. “It’s just fun to play.”

“We like to play at pace, but it has to be on our terms. That was fully on their terms,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra admitted.

The Kings have won three straight, and four of five. Picked 30th–out of 30–by most NBA prognosticators, and thought to be too young and inexperienced to challenge for a playoff spot, the Kings are the surprise team so far in the Western conference.

Putting the ball in the hands of De’Aaron Fox and watching him go, was a major component in Monday’s gameplan. That and having Fox accept the challenge posed by Goran Dragic, a similar point guard in style and demeanor.

On both counts, advantage Fox.

The second-year Sacramento point guard had 20 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals in 34 minutes on the floor. Fox is averaging 18 points, seven assists through seven games as the unquestioned ringleader of the Kings’ fast-paced attack.

The Kings head to Orlando, Fla. to take on the Magic on Tuesday at 4:00 pm PT.