Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) drives the lane on the Miami Heat guard Tony Rozier (2) in double overtime at Golden 1 Center on Mon Jan 6, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Monday night, coming into the game with strong momentum, riding a four-game winning streak. The Kings were on the second night of a back-to-back after defeating the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, 129-99.

On the other hand, the Miami Heat entered the game as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 17-16 record. This week, the Heat had been dealing with the Jimmy Butler drama, an undoubtedly unwelcome distraction for the team.

Jimmy Butler was suspended last week by Heat President Pat Riley for conduct detrimental to the team. The Kings and Heat tipped off at 7 PM PST inside the Golden 1 Center. The Kings defeated the Heat 123-118 on Monday night.

In other news, the newly relocated Oakland Athletics were in attendance at the game on Monday night. A’s manager Mark Kotsay, along with players Brent Rooker, JJ Bleday, JP Sears, and Lawrence Butler, were all courtside for the affair.

In the first half, neither the Kings nor the Heat seemed to find their rhythm. Both teams struggled to establish a comfort zone on the offensive end of the floor. The Heat shot 40.5% from the field and 31.3% from beyond the arc, scoring 47 points in the first half.

On the other hand, the Kings committed eight turnovers, resulting in 11 points for the Heat. The Kings shot 40.8% from the field and just 18.8% from deep, managing to score 50 points in the half and taking a narrow three-point lead, 50-47, into the break. Tyler Herro led the Heat in the first half with 17 points, while Malik Monk paced the Kings with 15.

In the second half, the Kings displayed resilience to force overtime. Despite leading at halftime, the Kings lost their edge and trailed by as many as 17 points. However, they battled back to tie the game at 102, sending it into overtime. In the first overtime period, both teams scored ten points, leading to a second overtime.

In the second extra period, the Kings outscored the Heat 11-6, powered by nine points from DeMar DeRozan, ultimately securing a 123-118 victory. DeRozan was the Kings’ leading scorer with 30 points. Tyler Herro led the Heat with 26 points but notably did not score in either overtime period.

Postgame, Doug Christie commented on the victory, stating, “Big time – these guys continue to fight in a way that I hope makes our city proud. It makes me incredibly proud.”

Up Next The Kings will travel to Boston to face the Celtics at 4:30 PM PST at the Garden.