Hield tip-in leads Kings to 124-122 overtime win in Denver

DENVER (AP) – Nikola Jokic recorded his commonplace triple-double however his cohort was on the bench fouled out by time beyond regulation and his late-game heroics had been just a little rusty.

Harrison Barnes stole the ball from Jokic with 2.6 seconds left and Buddy Hield tipped in his miss on the buzzer, sending the Sacramento Kings storming off the courtroom with a shocking 124-122 win over the Denver Nuggets in time beyond regulation Wednesday evening.

Jokic recorded a triple-double with 29 factors, 15 rebounds and 14 assists, however he had a vital offensive foul with 2.6 seconds left in regulation that denied Denver an opportunity to win it in regulation and he watched helplessly as Barnes stole the ball within the chaotic closing moments of time beyond regulation.

Hield led Sacramento with 22 factors and Barnes and De’Aaron Fox every added 21 for the Kings, who snapped a six-game skid in Denver, the place they’d final gained on Jan. 3, 2017.

Fox additionally had a key block of Will Barton’s layup with 10.6 seconds remaining in time beyond regulation and Barnes grabbed the lengthy rebound and raced downcourt to for a layup that tied it at 122 with 6.5 seconds left.

Denver referred to as timeout, however Barnes punched the ball away from Jokic, then raced for a 4-foot dunk that Barton blocked. Hield tipped it in simply earlier than the buzzer, then raced off the courtroom and thru the tunnel on the newly renamed Ball Enviornment.

Michael Porter Jr. scored 24 factors for Denver regardless of early foul hassle, however playoff star Jamal Murray was held to 5 factors and was 1-for-9 capturing earlier than fouling out late in regulation.

“I’d be mendacity if I informed you our protection had so much to do with that,” Kings coach Luke Walton mentioned. “If you’re nearly as good as Jamal Murray and you’ve got a capturing evening like that, that’s extra him having an off-night. Now, I give our guys credit score for competing and making it laborious for him. However he sees that each evening.

“I really really feel dangerous for whoever has to protect him subsequent day trip. I’m assuming he’ll in all probability have a fairly good sport. However our guys did a heck of a job competing.”

Earlier than the sport, Nuggets coach Michael Malone was requested if Murray may match his playoff prowess within the new season, and he used the chance to speak about how the staff’s first journey to the Western Convention Finals in a decade final summer season was already previous information.

“As nice as final season was — I’m going to maintain saying this — that season is over,” Malone mentioned. “That was a distinct staff. Sure, we have now our core again, however we have now seven new gamers. As nice because it was to win our division, to get to the Western Convention Finals, to comeback from two 3-1 deficits; beginning tonight, who cares? That’s over.”

Murray emerged as a bona fide star within the bubbled playoffs in Florida, however Malone mentioned Murray, Jokic and everybody else has to overlook about that run now.

“We are able to’t depend on that,” Malone mentioned. “That’s historic historical past in my eyes. Now, Jamal has a problem of being that participant for 72 video games. He did it at a excessive stage for 19 video games within the playoffs. Now, that is the start of the 2020-2021 season, can Jamal Murray deliver it each evening and assist this staff attain even larger heights? 

“Our objective has nonetheless been, we haven’t obtained our objective but, and that’s to win a championship. Jamal goes to be an enormous a part of that.”

After the sport, Malone pointed to the Kings’ 36-24 third quarter as the important thing to Denver’s disappointment, and Jokic concurred, saying, “We relaxed. We performed a very good first half. They got here out of (halftime) actually aggressive with numerous power and picked up the tempo of the sport. We didn’t match it.”

Kings: Corey Joseph had 12 factors in 12 minutes off the bench within the first half. … Sacramento did not lead in any respect within the first half, and there was just one tie earlier than halftime, at 7-7.

Nuggets: Murray missed all 5 of his 3-pointers however made all seven of his free throws. … The Nuggets had been outrebounded 53-45 though no Kings reached double digits off the glass (4 Sacramento gamers had 9 boards).

Kings: Open their residence slate Saturday evening towards the Phoenix Suns, whom they’ll additionally host on Sunday evening.

Nuggets: On Christmas evening, they host the Los Angeles Clippers, one of many groups they rallied to beat within the playoffs after falling right into a 3-1 gap, a improvement that led to a Clippers offseason shakeup.