Atlanta Hawks guard Kevin Huerter (3) is blocked by Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield (24), Huerter went on to lead the Hawks with 25 points at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wed Jan 5, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–Tuesday review:The Sacramento Kings (16-24) were back in action on Wednesday evening in Sacramento. The Kings took a brief trip away from Golden One Center to play the Lakers in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. The Kings played hard against the Lakers, but ultimately, an unfortunate clock malfunction and error by De’Aaron Fox along with typical Lebron James scoring did in the Kings 122-114 on Tuesday night.

Wednesday night recap: On Wednesday, the Kings welcomed the Atlanta Hawks (17-20) to Golden One Center. The Kings fell to the Hawks 108-102 on Wednesday night at Golden One Center.

In the first quarter, the game was off to a slow start. The Kings and the Hawks were coming off a game the night before. The Kings played the night before in Los Angeles, and it showed in the first quarter.

The Kings defense looked tired as they were outscored by the Hawks 33-24 in the first quarter of action. The Hawks offense looked like it was firing on all cylinders, and the defense didn’t look bad either. The Kings would need to ramp up the intensity in the second quarter.

In the second quarter, the Kings defense did a better containing the Hawks offense. The Kings held the Hawks to only 21 points in the second quarter. Unfortunately, the Kings couldn’t pick it up on the offensive end.

The Kings also scored 21 points in the second quarter to match the Hawks. The Kings were led in the first half by Buddy Hield, who scored 11 points. The Hawks were led in the first half by Delon right, who scored 11 points. The Kings would take a 54-45 deficit into the second half, looking to turn the tide in the third quarter.

In the third quarter, the Kings played their best quarter of the game. The Kings outscored the Hawks 30-24 as the Kings improved on the offensive end. Typically, the Kings collapse in the third quarter, but this one was different. The Kings showed an encouraging poise to cut into the deficit. Could the Kings complete the comeback in the final quarter? The Kings went into the fourth quarter down 78-75.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings played hard but ultimately fell short against the Hawks. Atlanta outscored the Kings 30-27 in the final quarter, and it was too much for the Kings to overcome. As a result, the Kings fell to the Hawks 108-102. The Kings as a unit struggled to score on Wednesday night. The best performances came from De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton, who scored 30 and 24, respectively.

Buddy Hield scored 11 points on the night, but those all came in the first half; he went scoreless in the second half. Kevin Huerter led the way for the Hawks as he scored 25 points on the night. It was a disappointing loss for the Kings since they faced an undermanned Atlanta Hawks team. The Kings fell to 16-24, and the Hawks improved to 17-20 on the season.

Up Next: The Kings will travel to Denver to take on the Nuggets on Friday at 6 PM PST.