For 44 minutes the Sacramento Kings had the San Antonio Spurs exactly where they want them. Sloppy play and untimely turnovers during the final four minutes let all of that slip away, and they lost the game 107-100.
San Antonio was without four of its star players in Kawhi Leonard, Manu Ginobili, Rudy Gay, and Danny Green, and Sacramento was coming off on of its strongest wins of the season. The game seemed primed for the Kings’ taking.
At halftime, the Kings were leading by 10 points, but were only up by three at the end of the third quarter. They maintained control through most of the final quarter and had a five point lead with four minutes left in the game. Over the next two and a half minutes, the Spurs went on 12-1 run and the Kings had no response.
One of the main reasons for this collapse was poor ball control that resulted in four turnovers down the stretch. Three of those turnovers came from rookie De’Aaron Fox, who lost the ball on two of the team’s last four possessions. Aside from sloppy play at the end, Fox had a solid game with 11 points, ten assists, and four rebounds. This marks the first double-double of his career.
Willie Cauley-Stein was another strong performer for the Kings, continuing his trend of improved play. The Kings’ big man posted 22 points and nine rebounds on an efficient 8/12 shooting.
The Spurs were down four of their biggest contributors, but they still had LaMarcus Aldridge who lead both teams with 31 points and 12 rebounds. San Antonio was also propelled by a career night from Davis Bertans, as he dropped 28 points off the bench.
This marks the biggest collapse of the Kings this season. Despite their record, Sacramento has played well in tight games before tonight, so this let down will be a big learning lesson for the young squad.
Bogdan Bogdanovic and Garrett Temple were big contributors off the bench and both ended the game with 16 points. Sacramento falls to 13-26 and will have to respond to this loss quickly, as they head down to Los Angeles to face off against the Lakers tomorrow.
