Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) pushes the ball against the Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III (35) at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun Jan 2, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Sunday afternoon for the first game of 2022. The Kings last played on Friday afternoon as they took on the Dallas Mavericks at home. On Friday, the Kings played a terrible game against the Mavericks that saw them lose 112-96.

It was summed up post-game by Kings head coach Alvin Gentry who said, “If anyone needs me, I’ll be at home drinking.” It was a rough game that the Kings showed no effort. On Sunday, the Kings would look to clean up the action on the court as they welcomed in the Miami heat at 3 PM PST. The Kings defeated the Heat at home 115-113 on Sunday afternoon.

It was a weird first quarter in Sacramento. Neither team seemed like they could find a rhythm on the offensive end of the ball. However, the Kings did outscore the Heat 26-18 in the first quarter.

The Kings defense was playing well from the outset, and the Heat also were not hitting their shots. The Kings could take advantage of this in the first quarter and hoped to keep up the defensive pressure as the game continued.

In the second quarter, the defense crumbled. The Kings allowed the Heat to go off for 39 points in the second quarter and put the Kings lead in jeopardy. The Kings countered with 35 points of their own which preserved the lead.

It was a defensive nightmare for the Kings, almost giving up 40 points in a quarter. The saving grace for the Kings was that Miami didn’t play much defense either. The Kings would go into halftime with a 61-57 lead. Damian Jones led the way for the Kings in the first half with 14 points. Kyle Lowry led the Heat with 14 first-half points.

It wasn’t a complete meltdown for the Kings in the third quarter. Nonetheless, the third quarter was not kind to the Kings. While avoiding the breakdown, the Kings were outscored in the third quarter, 33-29.

However, the Kings went on a run towards the end of the quarter to avoid going into the fourth down. The score would be tied 90-90 going into the final 12 minutes of action against the Heat in Sacramento.

In the fourth quarter, the game was up for grabs. Both teams traded baskets until the score was 113-113 with 26.6 seconds to go. De’Aaron Fox would be fouled on a drive and make both of his free throws to make it 115-113.

The Heat had one final play with 6.2 seconds left. Jimmy Butler drove to the rim and missed his floater, and the Kings would win the game as time expired 115-113. It was a gritty win for the Kings, who had ample opportunity to implode.

Instead, they held their own and ended the Heat’s five-game winning streak. De’Aaron Fox played a significant role for the Kings down the stretch and finished the game with 24 points. Buddy Hield added 26 points for the Kings during the win. Tyler Herro led the way for the Heat in defeat as he scored 22 points along with Omer Yurtseven.

Up Next: The Kings will travel to Los Angeles on Tuesday to take on the Lakers at 7:30 PM PST.