(Basketball news) The Sacramento Kings prevailed over the Los Angeles Clippers in NBA’s second highest ever scoring game 176-175 after two overtimes. For the Kings, Malik Monk scored a career-high 45 points, De’Aaron Fox had the go-ahead basket and finished with 42 as Fox, who also had 12 assists and five steals is just the 12th player since 1973-74 with 40 points, 10 assists and five steals in a game as the last to do it was James Harden in 2019. For the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard scored a season-high 44 points and Paul George added 34. Leonard had 21 points in the third quarter, which tied his career high for points scored in a quarter while Russell Westbrook made his debut with 17 points, 14 assists and five rebounds in 39 minutes before fouling out with 1:49 remaining in the second overtime.
It is only the second time in the NBA’s 76-year history that both teams have scored at least 170 points. Last time something like this happened was when Detroit beat Denver 186-184 in triple overtime on Dec. 13, 1983, in what remains the highest-scoring NBA game. The Kings are third on the scoring list with the 176 points and the Clippers fourth. An NBA team has scored 170 points in a regular-season game only seven times. Sacramento and Los Angeles also created history when they combined for 44 3-pointers, tied for the most in a game in NBA history. Both teams also shot at least 58% from the field and were 80% or better from the foul line.
”From a fan’s standpoint, I can see how this game would have been a lot of fun to watch,” Brown said. ”There was unbelievable shot making and great defense. There was high-level talent that was on display. Kudos to the players.
”I thought was a great game. A lot of momentum shifts,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said.
”We just stuck with it. We got down 12 at one point but just had our heads up. We knew they were going to let us back in,” Monk said.
”We just had to grind this game out. We were on the second night of a back-to-back but it is what it is. We have a younger team than them,” Fox said.
The Golden State Warriors got back to winning ways when they defeated the Houston Rockets 116-101. For the Warriors, Thompson scored 42 points and matched his season high with 12 3-pointers as it was his third career game with 12 or more 3s while NBA career 3-point leader Stephen Curry has done it twice. Donte DiVincenzo added 15 points while Jordan Poole also scored 15 points. For the Rockets, KJ Martin had 22 points and eight rebounds as TyTy Washington Jr. scored 15 and Jae’Sean Tate 14 for the NBA-worst record (13-46), who lost their eighth straight and fifth in a row on the road. With this result the Warriors improved their record to 30-30.
”I don’t like to talk about vintage me or am I my old self?” Thompson said. ”I just think I’m being myself and I was capable of these things in the past and as long as my wrists still work, my feet work, I’ll forever be able to shoot the rock.”
”He was brilliant tonight and it’s just so great to see him now at the point where he can do this,” said coach Steve Kerr, who challenged Thompson to be a better rebounder. ”I’m really happy for Klay, he’s put in the work. I really loved the fact he got seven rebounds”
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