Kings squeak past Hawks on Rondo lay-in for another wild finish
The Sacramento Kings remain incapable of playing a boring game. The league’s most unpredictable team was at it again on Thursday night, hosting the Atlanta Hawks for the sort of game that looks fairly standard in the box score and bewildering for anyone who watched it. Tune into the Kings’ next game for pretty much the same experience.
Up 72-63 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Kings allowed the Hawks to tie it up in just over four minutes via an Al Horford three-pointer. That set up a tense, not particularly well played final stretch in which defenses reigned and passes often appeared headed to no one in particular.
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The closing seconds gave fans one expertly executed play. With the game tied at 88-88 following a Dennis Schröder three-pointer with 28 seconds remaining, the Kings worked to get Rajon Rondo the go-ahead lay-in off a hand-off from DeMarcus Cousins.
That bucket gave Rondo 11 points, enough for his fifth triple-double of the season alongside 11 assists and 10 rebounds. It also looked like the winning basket once Omri Casspi stole the ball from Paul Millsap on the Hawks’ next possession.
In very Kings fashion, though, the hosts failed to close it out on the ensuing free throws. Darren Collison, an 83-percent shooter from the line, split his pair to give the Hawks another chance to send it to overtime. They didn’t take advantage. Take a look at the highlights here:
That game-ending turnover finished off a 91-88 win for Sacramento, their fourth straight. Though still a few games under .500 at 19-23, the Kings now hold a one-game lead over the Utah Jazz for eighth in the West. This confounding team is in strong shape to make the postseason.
Until then, we’ll have to wait and see if they can cobble together enough consistency to avoid blowing late leads and holding on for dear life. We’ll be watching to find out.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
