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Kings

The Phoenix Suns have acquired forwards Royce O&rsquo;Neale and David Roddy in a three-team trade with the Brooklyn Nets and Memphis Grizzlies, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania</a>.
Brooklyn sent O&rsquo;Neale to Phoenix for three second-round picks while Memphis ships Roddy to Phoenix for a pick swap. In return, the Grizzlies will get Yuta Watanabe from the Suns as well as three other minimum-salary players: Keita Bates-Diop, Jordan Goodwin and Chimezie Metu.&nbsp;
The Suns retain assets after this three-team deal for O'Neale and Roddy -- including a second-rounder and pick swaps. Additionally, Phoenix now has two roster spots open to pursue additions on the buyout market.
O&rsquo;Neale and Roddy are two big wings who will fortify the Suns' playoff rotation. O&rsquo;Neale, 30, is averaging 7.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 49 games this season. Roddy, 22, is averaging 8.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 48 games this season.

The Suns have acquired forwards Royce O’Neale and David Roddy in a three-team trade with the Nets and Grizzlies.

Suns acquire Royce O’Neale, David Roddy in three-team trade

Two nights ago, the Phoenix Suns did something they have failed to do all season long &ndash; close out a game and win in the fourth quarter in a thrilling comeback victory over the Sacramento Kings.
The Suns, who already lost nine games this season in fourth quarters, are dead last in fourth-quarter scoring at just 24.6 points per game. They are also getting outscored by 3.2 points &ndash; worst in the league.
Phoenix tends to shrink when they are pressured in tense moments despite having talented, all-world scorers in Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. This shouldn't be happening to an aspiring championship team &ndash; it is downright uncharacteristic and unacceptable.
Tuesday night&rsquo;s game against the Kings looked like it was heading toward another inexcusable loss in the fourth, as the Kings led by 18 points, 112-94, with 5:56 to go.
The Suns have been longing to fix their fourth-quarter woes, but to no avail, as a combination of injuries, bad rotations and lackluster effort on defense have held back the team.
So, how did the Suns come back and get the win? By going on a 32-8 run to end the game.
With the Suns down 109-89 in an important game against their division rivals, Durant blocked a Malik Monk floater off a pick-and-roll, passed it out and found Chimezie Metu leaking out for an easy transition layup. The next possession, Josh Okogie made an extraordinary play that fueled the Suns&rsquo; furious comeback. On an island vs. Monk, Okogie stayed with him after a crossover and hustled back to block a floater, and it led to a wide-open transition trey by Grayson Allen that cut the lead to 17.&nbsp;
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From that point on, players started doubling down on defense &ndash; chasing blocks instead of standing around and getting beat on defense. Even Booker and Beal, who aren't known for their defense, were fighting over screens and running back in transition with a concerted effort.
Over the next five minutes, the Suns scored 25 points to the Kings' 4 with the following series of buckets:
Beal driving layup.&nbsp;
Allen three.&nbsp;
Durant dunk.&nbsp;
Durant three.&nbsp;
Beal dunk.&nbsp;
Durant three.
Gordon three.&nbsp;
Gordon three.&nbsp;
Durant makes 2 free throws.
Durant makes 2 free throws.
By the end of the fourth quarter, the Suns outscored the Kings 35-21. Phoenix had finally exorcised their fourth-quarter demons.
The Big Three of Durant, Booker and Beal are finding their groove and offensively, their potential is off the charts. But their effort on defense is what will allow them to contend for a championship.
The Suns followed up that win over Sacramento with another impressive effort, blowing out the New Orleans Pelicans (who have surged to fifth place in the Western Conference). 
Booker had a spectacular performance, dropping 52 points to pull the Suns closer in the standings. Phoenix currently holds the No. 8 seed in the West with a 23-18 record, but are now right behind Sacramento (23-18, seventh), Dallas (24-18, sixth) and New Orleans (25-18, fifth), as all four teams are now tied in the loss column.
Over the next few games, the Suns will go up against the Mavericks before going on a road trip out East. This stretch of games could be crucial down the road considering how close the standings are as of now.
 Their best basketball is still ahead of them, and perhaps this will go down as the turning point of their season.

The Suns finally exorcised their fourth-quarter demons in their recent win over the Kings. Could it be a turning point of their season?

Is this the turning point of the Phoenix Suns' up-and-down season?

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Ochai Agbaji scored a career-high 27 points, including six 3-pointers, to lead the Utah Jazz to a 128-120 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.
Kelly Olynyk had 19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Jazz. Kris Dunn added 18 points and a season-high 10 assists. Udoka Azubuike chipped in with a career-high 13 points and a season-best eight rebounds.
Eight players scored in double figures for the Jazz, who shot 52% from the field.
Agbaji&rsquo;s offensive outburst underscored the progress he&rsquo;s made from earlier in his rookie season when he had stints in the G League.
&ldquo;I kind of saw that as my own race, starting there,&rdquo; Agbaji said. &ldquo;My expectations were a little bit different coming in, but starting there, I had to be fine with it, had to go with it, had to give it my all and have a positive attitude while I was doing it.&rdquo;
De&rsquo;Aaron Fox had 37 points and seven assists to lead Sacramento. Keegan Murray added 22 points for the Kings. Fox and Murray combined to make 12 3-pointers.
Harrison Barnes scored 16 for Sacramento, and Malik Monk added 15.
Olynyk put the Jazz ahead for good on a 3-pointer with 1:34 left to break a 118-all tie. Dunn, Agbaji, Walker Kessler and Olynyk combined to make seven free throws in the final minute to seal the victory.
Sacramento trailed by double digits throughout the first half before erasing the deficit during the third quarter. Fox and Murray led the charge, combining for 33 points in the period.
Fox scored five baskets to fuel a 19-5 run that cut Utah&rsquo;s lead to 76-74 midway through the quarter. The Kings tied it three times on 3-pointers from Monk, Murray and Fox but did not go in front until early in the fourth quarter.
Chimezie Metu completed a 3-point play to give Sacramento its first lead at 100-98 with 9:15 remaining.
&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t trick a trick defense,&rdquo; Kings coach Mike Brown said. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve just got to just run your stuff. If you run your stuff, somebody&rsquo;s going to get an open shot.&rdquo;
Playing without the team&rsquo;s top three scorers &mdash; Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton &mdash; did not slow down Utah&rsquo;s offense in the first quarter.
The Jazz shot 60% from the field and made five 3-pointers to build a 40-19 lead by the end of the period. Utah showed offensive balance while coasting to a double-digit advantage. Five players scored two or more baskets in the quarter. Olynyk and Agbaji led the way with three apiece.
&ldquo;We lost this game in the first quarter,&rdquo; Fox said. &ldquo;We shot ourselves in the foot. Obviously we fought back, but you don&rsquo;t want to be in that type of position.&rdquo;
Utah did not cool down much through the second quarter. The Jazz extended their lead to 24 before halftime, going up 59-35 when Olynyk capped a 7-0 run with a corner 3.
&ldquo;We were able to use our pace. It&rsquo;s been a huge emphasis for us since the trade deadline to try to play faster,&rdquo; Jazz coach Will Hardy said. &ldquo;We fed off our defense. We did a good job of getting stops and it allowed us to get out and run.&rdquo;
BLOCK PARTY
Kessler blocked five shots for the 10th time this season. None were more clutch than his final swat on a layup attempt by Domantas Sabonis with 1:20 remaining that would have cut the deficit to one. Kessler secured the rebound, and the Kings never got a chance to draw closer.
&ldquo;A lot of teams want to attack inside in the last moments just because you&rsquo;re trying to foul,&rdquo; Kessler said. &ldquo;I happened to be there. I liked my chances to block the shot.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Kings: Sabonis led the Kings in rebounds (12) and assists (nine) and finished with 11 points. &hellip; Sacramento scored zero fast-break points in the first half.
Jazz: Simone Fontecchio made his second career start in place of Markkanen, who sat out with back soreness. Fontecchio finished with 12 points. &hellip; Utah allowed a season-high 43 points in the third quarter.
UP NEXT
Kings: Host Boston on Tuesday night.
Jazz: Host Portland on Wednesday night.

Eight players scored in double figures for the Jazz, who shot 52% from the field.

Agbaji scores 27, Jazz hold off Kings for 128-120 victory

If you missed Friday night's fever dream between the Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings, I highly recommend finding a way to catch up. Fire up League Pass, see if NBA TV is showing a re-run soon, go to YouTube. Do something.&nbsp;
We're not seeing another 176-175 in double overtime anytime soon. At the very least, I find it hard to believe we will.
That game had everything: Kawhi Leonard (44-4-4-3-2) going off, De'Aaron Fox (42-5-12-5) <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-sacramento-kings-deaaron-fox-early-frontrunner-nba-clutch-player-of-the-year-award-race-kevin-huerter-domantas-sabonis-luka-doncic-nikola-jokic-jalen-brunson-demar-derozan-shai-gilgeous-alexander" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reaffirming his lead in the Clutch Player of the Year race</a>, a career-night from Malik Monk (45 points and 6 assists), Paul George (34-10-5) losing his mind before losing the ball over and over and over again. A Russell Westbrook debut befitting of the future Hall of Famer: 17 points, 14 assists (7 turnovers) and 6 fouls with the Clippers winning his minutes by three points.&nbsp;
Insane three-point shooting, bully-ball post-ups, transition exploits, and ultimately, history. It's the second-highest scoring NBA game of all-time, and the first time in NBA history that a game went into overtime with both teams having at least 150 points beforehand.&nbsp;
The Kings probably aren't in position to potentialy force overtime without the Clippers' turnover-fest &mdash; and Fox's defensive masterclass &mdash; within the last three minutes of the game. And we certainly don't get the overtime without Monk's three from the right corner with 1.1 seconds left.&nbsp;
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It's a tremendous mix of "what a play call" and "what are the Clippers doing" &mdash; enough that it warrants a breakdown of the play. Let's talk about what happened, and why it happened.
As Mark Jones expertly calls out during the mayhem, the Kings are trying to set up a "Hammer" on the weakside for Monk. The tell for the "Hammer" would be the late screen being set by Keegan Murray as Monk flows to the corner. The setup beforehand, however, is pretty important.&nbsp;
Monk tests the Clippers early by setting a brush screen for Fox right after the inbound. On three occasions before this moment, Monk set early-in-the-clock screens for Fox, with the Clippers opting to switch. Even in the second instance &mdash; a Fox triple &mdash; you can see Terance Mann dropping down in anticipation of a switch.&nbsp;
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As Monk comes across, George subtly grabs Monk. Westbrook turns and hovers around the nail at that moment. A favorable (but ultimately inexcusable) interpretation of Westbrook's actions would be him viewing Paul's grab as a sign he was getting ready to switch, thus making Fox the priority of Westbrook.
But even with Westbrook ultimately making the wrong read, the Clippers had chances to avoid disaster. With Westbrook at the nail, Nicolas Batum had the opportunity to pick up Monk as he made his way around the right wing.&nbsp;
More pressing is what Norm Powell does. He drops down from the weakside corner, showing help against the empty corner ball screen being "ran" by Fox and Domantas Sabonis. If he does that in the second quarter, you don't really blink. Doing so when the Kings are down three, with no timeouts, is an unfortunate lapse in judgment.&nbsp;
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From here, you have to give credit to Monk. On a basic level, he drills the most important shot of the game to that point. What's going under the radar was the read he made in space.
Instead of mindlessly following the playcall and pumping the brakes in the corner, he reads Fox. He drifts back to his left as Fox continues his drive on the baseline, creating the passing window needed for Fox to find him. His movement also makes it impossible for Powell to recover, and puts him in a spot where Westbrook can't really bother him with a contest.&nbsp;
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It was a brilliant play call from the Kings that, intentionally or not, targeted the most questionable off-ball defenders the Clippers had on the court at that time. Westbrook had to defend the inbound pass and the first action of the play; Powell had to navigate things on the back end, with him ultimately going gameplan over time and score.&nbsp;
For more on Monk's impact on the Kings, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-feature-interview-malik-monk-infectious-energy-breathing-life-into-sacramento-kings-mike-brown-chimezie-metu-deaaron-fox-harrison-barnes-davion-mitchell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">check out this excellent feature</a> from our Spencer Davies where he sat down with Monk and his teammates.

Last night's Kings-Clippers game made NBA history. Nekias Duncan breaks down the most important play: Malik Monk's OT-forcing three.

Explain One Play: How Malik Monk extended a wild Kings-Clippers game

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Malik Monk scored a career-high 45 points, De&rsquo;Aaron Fox had the go-ahead basket and finished with 42 and the Sacramento Kings beat the Los Angeles Clippers 176-175 in double overtime in the second-highest scoring game in NBA history.
Detroit beat Denver 186-184 in triple overtime on Dec. 13, 1983, in the highest-scoring NBA game. The Kings are third on the scoring list with the 176 points and the Clippers fourth.
The Clippers had a 175-169 advantage with 1:57 remaining before the Kings scored the final seven points, including Fox&rsquo;s jumper with 36.5 seconds remaining. The Clippers had the final shot, but missed Nico Batum missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The Kings overcame a 14-points deficit late in the fourth quarter and six-point deficits in both overtime periods.
The teams also combined for 44 3-pointers, tied for the most in a game in NBA history.
Kawhi Leonard scored a season-high 44 points for Los Angeles and Paul George added 34.
Russell Westbrook started and made his Clippers debut after he cleared waivers Wednesday. He had 17 points, 14 assists and five rebounds in 39 minutes before fouling out with 1:49 remaining in the second overtime.
RALLY KINGS
Los Angeles had a 145-131 advantage with 4:25 remaining before the Kings rallied back to force overtime with a 22-8 run. Monk forced the extra session with a 3-pointer from the corner with 1.1 seconds remaining.
Sacramento&rsquo;s key spurt late in regulation was 10 straight points that got it to 147-146 with 1:22 left.
The Clippers had a 162-156 lead with 3:04 remaining in the first overtime before the Kings scored six straight to even it. Monk hit a pair of free throws with 20.4 seconds left to tie it at 164. Los Angeles had a chance to win it, but Leonard was unable to put in a tip in at the buzzer.
LEONARD&rsquo;S NIGHT
It is the sixth 40-point game in Leonard&rsquo;s 10-year career and his second since joining the Clippers in the summer of 2019. He was 16 of 22 from the field, including six 3-pointers, in 46 minutes.
This was the first time in two years Leonard faced the Kings. He missed last year due to a knee injury and did not playing in the first two meetings this season.
TOUGH NIGHT
Sacramento center Domantas Sabonis played only 31 minutes after being in foul trouble most of the night. He picked up his four fouls in the first half and then drew his fifth with 6:46 remaining in the third quarter.
Sabonis, who got his seventh triple-double in Thursday night&rsquo;s win over Portland, fouled out with 3:09 remaining in the first overtime. He finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
TIP-INS
Kings: Are 6-4 in the second game of back-to-backs. ... Sacramento had a season high 18 steals. .... Keegan Murray had 15 points. ... Chimezie Metu tied a season high with nine rebounds.
Clippers: Batum had 19 points, including five 3-pointers, on French Heritage night. A bobblehead of Batum with France&rsquo;s flag was given to fans entering the arena. ... Norman Powell had 24 points off the bench. ... Ivica Zubac did not play due to a right calf strain.
UP NEXT
Kings: At Oklahoma City on Sunday.
Clippers: At Denver on Sunday.

The Sacramento Kings beat the Los Angeles Clippers 176-175 in double overtime in the second-highest scoring game in NBA history.

Kings beat Clippers 176-175 in 2nd-highest scoring game ever

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Pascal Siakam had 26 points and 11 rebounds as the Toronto Raptors beat the Pacific Division-leading Sacramento Kings 113-95 on Wednesday night.
&ldquo;I like him shooting all those perimeter shots,&rdquo; Raptors coach Nick Nurse said of Siakam. &ldquo;He just got back in command of the game.&rdquo;
Fred VanVleet scored 17 points and O.G. Anunoby added 11 for the Raptors, who had lost four of their last six games entering the contest. Precious Achiuwa added 19 points and Chris Boucher came off the bench to score 16.
&ldquo;We looked good and felt good,&rdquo; VanFleet said. &ldquo;We were locked in. We have had our struggles this year.&rdquo;
Kevin Huerter scored 21 points to lead the Kings (27-20), who entered the game with seven wins in their last eight games. Keegan Murray hit four 3-pointers and added 16 points, while De&rsquo;Aaron Fox finished with 16 points and eight assists.
The Kings Domantas Sabonis finished with nine points and eight rebounds and saw his 22-game double-double streak come to an end.
&ldquo;I have to play better,&rdquo; said Sacramento&rsquo;s Malik Monk, who shot 2 for 7 overall. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s it ... shot&rsquo;s just not going in. They&rsquo;re going to start falling.&rdquo;
The Raptors led by a point after the first quarter and seized control by outscoring Sacramento 34-27 and 26-17 in the second and third periods, respectively. The Kings closed within 12 points in the fourth quarter before Toronto pulled away.
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Toronto shot 48 for 97 (49.5%) in the game, while Sacramento went 35 for 73 (48%).
&ldquo;They kicked our behind on the glass,&rdquo; Kings coach Mike Brown said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to beat a team when a team gets 25 more shots than you do.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Raptors: Anunoby returned to the starting lineup after being sidelined with an ankle injury.
Kings: Chimezie Metu returned to the lineup after missing Monday&rsquo;s game with a bone bruise in his left leg. ... The Kings failed to score 100 points or more for the second time this season.
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Pascal Siakam had 26 points and 11 rebounds as the Toronto Raptors beat the Pacific Division-leading Sacramento Kings 113-95.

Pascal Siakam scores 26, Raptors top Pacific-leading Kings

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Trey Lyles scored a season-high 24 points, Harrison Barnes had 15 of his 20 in Sacramento&rsquo;s record-tying first quarter and the Kings beat the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies 133-100 on Monday night.
The Kings tied the NBA record with 12 3-pointers in the first quarter &mdash; in just 13 attempts &mdash; and scored 47 points. But Sacramento didn&rsquo;t put away the game until outscoring Memphis 33-10 in the fourth quarter.
Lyles was 6 for 8 from 3-point range for the Kings (27-19), who have won seven of their last eight games.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice,&rdquo; Lyles said. &ldquo;We have another game on Wednesday. Let&rsquo;s see if we can do it again.&rdquo;
Domantas Sabonis finished with 14 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his sixth triple-double of the season. Sabonis leads the NBA in double-doubles with 36.
Keegan Murray also finished with 20 points and De&rsquo;Aaron Fox had 17 points and 10 assists.
&ldquo;Great team win,&rdquo; Kings coach Mike Brown said. &ldquo;I thought defensively in the second half, we were good.&rdquo;
Desmond Bane scored 21 points for Memphis (31-16), which played without Ja Morant and Steven Adams. The Grizzlies have lost three straight following an 11-game winning streak.
&ldquo;They shot the ball really well tonight,&rdquo; Brandon Clarke said. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t have an answer.&rdquo;
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Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 19 points and Dillon Brooks scored 13 points and added six assists. The Grizzlies visit Golden State on Wednesday.
&ldquo;We have to focus on getting better and playing better against Golden State,&rdquo; Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. &ldquo;Just continue to play hard and play together and just try and find a groove.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Grizzlies: Tyus Jones started in place of Morant and had 12 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
Kings: Sacramento was without C Chimezie Metu because of a left knee bone bruise. &hellip;the Kings committed a season-high 25 turnovers.
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Trey Lyles scored a season-high 24 points, and the Sacramento Kings beat the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies 133-100.

Kings use early 3s, big 4th quarter to top Grizzlies 133-100

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Tyrese Maxey scored 15 of his 32 points in the third quarter and the Philadelphia 76ers, playing without Joel Embiid and James Harden, completed a perfect five-game road trip by beating the Sacramento Kings 129-127 on Saturday night.
Maxey also had seven assists and six rebounds to help the 76ers overcome a 21-point deficit.
Embiid and Harden rested foot injuries but the rest of the 76ers snapped Sacramento&rsquo;s six-game winning streak.
Tobias Harris, Montrezl Harrell and Georges Niang all had 17 points for the Sixers.
&ldquo;That was a resilient win by our guys,&rdquo; 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;Everyone who played did something to help us win tonight. It&rsquo;s a team win.&rdquo;
De&rsquo;Aaron Fox had 31 points and nine assists for the Kings (26-19). Harrison Barnes had 27 points, going 6 for 9 from 3-point range. Kevin Huerter added 20 points.
&ldquo;They have some good players,&rdquo; Huerter said. &ldquo;This is a team that, when healthy, you can put against anyone in the East.&rdquo;
The Kings built a 71-50 margin on a 3-point basket by Huerter with 3:10 left in the second quarter. The 76ers went on a 14-3 run but the Kings held on to lead 74-64 at the half.
The 76ers surged back to tie the game at 86 on a three-point play by Harrell with 6:59 left in the third quarter. The Kings regained the lead when Barnes scored the next five points but the 76ers mounted a 16-5 run to end the quarter with a 102-96 lead.
Maxey scored 12 of the 76ers&rsquo; first 16 points in the third quarter.
&ldquo;I was telling them (76ers) I was gonna come out aggressive in the third,&rdquo; Maxey said. &ldquo;I think in the first and third quarter I was letting them (Kings) dictate what shots that I was taking. (In the third), I dictated what we needed. I think I did that for most part of the third quarter.&rdquo;
The 76ers opened a 107-96 lead early in the fourth until the Kings rallied back to cut the lead to one point on two occasions, the last when Keegan Murray made a 3-pointer to make it 127-126 with eight seconds left to play.
After Maxey made two free throws on the next play to extend the lead by three points, Matisse Thybulle fouled Barnes on his three-point attempt. Barnes missed the first, made the second, and then intentionally missed the third shot but the 76ers got the rebound to end the game.
The 76ers swept the series 2-0, including a 123-103 victory in Philadelphia on Dec. 14. The last time the Kings beat the 76ers was 115-108 on Feb. 2, 2019, in Sacramento.
&ldquo;Give them a lot of credit,&rdquo; Kings coach Mike Brown said. &ldquo;They came in here and took this game from us.&rdquo;
EMBIID AND HARDEN SIDELINED:
Embiid, the league&rsquo;s second-leading scorer, sat out with left foot injury recovery, while Harden was sidelined due to right foot tendon strain management. Harrell and Maxey started in place of the two All-Stars.
TIP-INS
76ers: The 76ers are 18-4 since starting the season 12-12. They have won nine of their first 11 games in January. &hellip; Shake Milton had 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds off the bench.
Kings: Chimezie Metu went to the locker room in the second quarter with a left leg injury and did not return. ... Domantas Sabonis has recorded 22 straight double-doubles. ... Fox&rsquo;s four assists early in the first half passed Bob Davies for the eighth spot on the Kings' career list with 2,251.
&nbsp;

Tyrese Maxey scored 15 of his 32 points in the third quarter and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Sacramento Kings 129-127.

76ers, without Embiid and Harden, edge Kings for 5-0 trip

SAN ANTONIO (AP) &mdash; Harrison Barnes scored 29 points, Domantas Sabonis had 18 points and 18 rebounds, and the Sacramento Kings extended their winning streak to four games with a 132-119 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night.
De&rsquo;Aaron Fox added 23 points and Davion Mitchell had 19 points for Sacramento. The Kings remain atop the Pacific Division, having won seven of 10.
San Antonio, which has lost four straight, was led by Jakob Poeltl&rsquo;s 23 points. Josh Richardson added 21 points and Keldon Johnson had 20.
The Kings outscored the Spurs 39-26 in the third quarter as a large group of their fans serenaded them with chants of &ldquo;Sac-ra-mento!&rdquo; The Spurs were limited to nine field goals while the Kings shot 60% from the field.
San Antonio hit three consecutive 3-pointers in cutting a 12-point deficit to 111-106 four minutes into the final quarter. Johnson capped the run with consecutive 3-pointers, but air-balled his next attempt as the King extended their lead to 115-106.
San Antonio suffered a second consecutive double-digit loss after falling 144-113 to Golden State on Friday night in front of the largest regular-season crowd (68,323) in NBA history in a home-away-from-home game at the Alamodome.
The Spurs did not suffer a hangover from the historic evening, getting off to a fast start against the Kings.
Poeltl had eight points and two blocks in the opening 4&frac12; minutes as the Spurs opened the game on a 13-4 run. Poeltl was 4 for 4 from the field during the run, driving into Sabonis.
San Antonio had 38 points in the first half, 14 from Poeltl.
TIP-INS
Kings: Sacramento&rsquo;s last loss to San Antonio was Nov. 10, 2021, 136-117 at the AT&amp;T Center. &hellip;. Former Spurs players Chimezie Metu and Trey Lyles seemed a bit surprised when they were recognized before the game for their two seasons in San Antonio. Metu spent his first two seasons in the league with the Spurs, averaging just over 5 minutes in a very limited role. Lyles played two seasons for the Spurs. Lyles averaged 6.4 points in 20.2 minutes while playing 63 games in his first season with San Antonio in 2019. Lyles played 23 games the following season, averaging five points in 15.6 minutes.
Spurs: F Doug McDermott missed the game due to upper back tightness. McDermott was initially listed as questionable after scoring 14 points in 22 minutes against Golden State on Friday.
&nbsp;

Harrison Barnes scored 29 points, and the Kings extended their winning streak to four games with a 132-119 win over the Spurs.

Kings roll past Spurs, extend winning streak to 4 games

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Domantas Sabonis had 19 points, a career-high 16 assists and 15 rebounds in his fourth triple-double of the season, and the Sacramento Kings beat the skidding Houston Rockets 139-114 on Friday night for their third straight win.
The Kings (23-18) moved five games over .500 for the first time since April 2006, when they made their most recent playoff appearance.
&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t just feel it at the arena, you feel it out and about in Sacramento,&rdquo; Kings coach Mike Brown said of the response to the highest-scoring team in the NBA. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s genuine. You genuinely feel their joy when you talk to them... We love them to death, and we are happy that we can bring some joy to them.&rdquo;
Sabonis joined Oscar Robertson as the only players in franchise history with at least 15 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a game. Robertson did it 15 times for the Cincinnati Royals.
Harrison Barnes scored 27 points and De&rsquo;Aaron Fox added 24.
&ldquo;They were making a ton of 3s in transition,&rdquo; Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. &ldquo;We are a help team and we&rsquo;re gonna give up some, but too many.&rdquo;
With 11:09 left, Malik Monk, Chimezie Metu, Tari Eason and Garrison Matthews were all ejected. Monk and Matthews went face-to-face after a foul was called on Monk during a fast break.
&ldquo;I had no issue with it,&rdquo; Barnes said of the altercation. &ldquo;At the end of the day that&rsquo;s the fight that we need as a team, that&rsquo;s the fight that we&rsquo;ll need this season, and that&rsquo;s the fight we&rsquo;ll need for the playoffs.&rdquo;
Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. each scored 27 points for the Rockets (10-32). They have lost nine consecutive games and 14 of 15.
&ldquo;Just my teammates trusting me,&rdquo; Smith, the No. 3 pick, said of his career night. &ldquo;Me trying to get to the basket more and trying to expand my game a little bit."
TIP-INS
Rockets: G Kevin Porter Jr. was ruled out with a bruised left foot.
Kings: G Kevin Huerter was ruled out for the second consecutive game with a non-COVID-19 illness. Terence Davis started in his place and scored 22 points.
&nbsp;

Domantas Sabonis had his fourth triple-double of the season, and the Sacramento Kings beat the skidding Houston Rockets 139-114.

Sabonis has triple-double, Kings rout skidding Rockets

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When Mike Brown was coaching in San Antonio under Gregg Popovich, he recalls a young, free-spirited Manu Ginobili, whose play would range from &ldquo;wow&rdquo; to &ldquo;doing some stuff that helped Pop get white hair quicker.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Now in the head seat with the Sacramento Kings, Brown sees a little bit of that in Malik Monk in the best of ways.
&ldquo;I'm not comparing him to Manu, so don't write this down at all,&rdquo; Brown said with a laugh. &ldquo;That's kind of Malik. He's gonna do more good than bad out there, so you gotta let 'em hoop. You've gotta let him feel his mojo and all that other stuff, and that's what I try to do.&rdquo;
Averaging career-bests of 14.5 points and 4.0 assists per game on a personal-high 60.1% True Shooting and <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4279#tab-offensive_overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">26.9% assist percentage</a>, Monk is playing with a palpable confidence and energy that has opened up parts of his skill set we haven&rsquo;t necessarily seen on a nightly basis since he came into the league.&nbsp;
He&rsquo;s found a rhythm as a playmaker, has continued to be a microwave scorer and, above all else, has not been pigeonholed.
&ldquo;Mike lets me be me, man. He just lets me go out there and play my game. He don't try to limit me to things,&rdquo; Monk told Basketball News. &ldquo;He'll show me when I miss somebody on the kick-out and things like that, but he doesn't limit me. I've been like this my whole life. I played point guard before I went to Kentucky, so I've been handling the ball for a little bit. So it's just him giving me the opportunity.&rdquo;
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Everybody knows he can put the ball in the bucket. It&rsquo;s how Monk is doing it, and of course, what he&rsquo;s doing to involve his teammates. While he has been more involved in pick-and-roll actions, it&rsquo;s the handoff possessions that jump off the page. With Domantas Sabonis at his disposal, Brown has doubled the average amount of those per game (1.42) from Malik&rsquo;s time in Los Angeles (0.71), per InStat.
Getting him moving on curls toward the ball and similar plays has resulted in the sixth-year guard putting it on the floor and naturally getting to the rim, or dishing it off to the next man for a better look.
&ldquo;First side, the defense is great. Second side, they relax a little bit. Third side, they're relaxing more. So we just try to move it, move the defense as much as possible,&rdquo; Monk explained. &ldquo;But they can't help off me as much 'cause I can shoot. They can't help off of Domas that much because he's a big threat rolling. So whatever they do is gonna be wrong, and I've just been making the right reads this year.&rdquo;
Candidly, Brown made it clear that he will not hesitate to pull Monk aside during those not-so-good moments too, as the 24-year-old is simultaneously turning it over twice a night through 24 games.&nbsp;
&ldquo;When you have a guy that's as talented as he is, he's gonna take some risk,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;He knows if he makes a mistake, I'mma yell at him, I'mma get on him, I'mma coach 'em. I said, 'Come on, you've been around me long enough where sometimes you've gotta let crap go through one ear and out the other. I know I'm the one on you, but that's how you've gotta survive in this business. That's how you thrive in this business. I gotta coach you and I will, but sometimes if you feel like you can make a play, go make a play.'&nbsp;And so, he knows that he's got that support from me, and vice-versa.
"So I think when a player feels that and really believes it, it just gives him more ability to be himself, which is go make plays for himself and others out on the floor.&rdquo;
Kings forward Harrison Barnes agrees with Brown&rsquo;s assessment.
&ldquo;I mean Malik, his energy is vital for us,&rdquo; Barnes said. &ldquo;There's some players who come in this league and... you can't necessarily put them in a role, you can't put them in a box. You kinda just roll the ball out there and pray it goes well.&nbsp;
&ldquo;And he's one of those guys that, for us, we just wanna give him just ultimate freedom, play through his mistakes. He brings so much energy for us, just a different look to our second unit. And I think that has become contagious.&rdquo;
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Monk is at his most dangerous on fast breaks. He likes to push the pace &ldquo;because we know a lot of teams don't like to get back in transition,&rdquo; and averages 1.24 points per possession in those scenarios.&nbsp;
The vast majority of his rapid play comes when he&rsquo;s playing alongside his friend, De'Aaron Fox. Before teaming up on the Kings, Monk and Fox were also backcourt partners on the Kentucky Wildcats in 2016-17. Monk has <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1628370/passes-dash?dir=D&amp;sort=PASS&amp;PerMode=Totals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed to him more than any teammate by far</a> (147 times).
And together, they play at the highest pace on the team (108.21) &mdash; a mark that <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/lineups/advanced?CF=MIN*GE*200&amp;GroupQuantity=2&amp;dir=D&amp;slug=advanced&amp;sort=PACE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ranks 10th in the NBA</a> among duos with at least 200 minutes combined. As far as Monk is concerned, he and Fox have picked up where they left off in Lexington.
&ldquo;He was a big part [of me coming to Sacramento] 'cause we're so comfortable with each other and we know how to play off each other,&rdquo; Monk said. &ldquo;Yeah man, it's been working out for me.&rdquo;
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Good morning. I&rsquo;m still thinking about this pass from Malik Monk to De&rsquo;Aaron Fox. <a href="https://t.co/UNFLFRwkba">pic.twitter.com/UNFLFRwkba</a>
&mdash; Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCartoscelli3/status/1599805025962053633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2022</a></blockquote>

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On the opposite side of the coin, Monk has turned up the defensive pressure while sharing the floor with Sacramento&rsquo;s tenacious stopper, Davion Mitchell. In fact, he and the man they call &ldquo;Off Night&rdquo; own the Kings&rsquo; <a href="https://go.nba.com/uytkg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best defensive rating on the team</a> (99.5) &mdash; the only duo allowing fewer than 100 points per 100 possessions.
&ldquo;Ah, that's hot,&rdquo; Monk reacted when Basketball News told him. &ldquo;I try to give Davion a lot of confidence, man, because he's the head of the snake, 'cause he's the point guard. He usually guards the best player. So however he guards is how the rest of us is gonna feed off of that. And I try to tell him that every game, every time we're on the court.&nbsp;So he just makes me go up a level. That's why I just try to force that [message] to him and I think that's why it's working for us.&rdquo;
A key cog in the bench bunch alongside him, Chimezie Metu has enjoyed the attitude Monk has brought into the locker room and on the floor.
&ldquo;He's great to be around. High energy. He's going out there being vocal, kinda keeping everybody's spirits up and it's just been great having him around,&rdquo; Metu told Basketball News. &ldquo;Personality-wise, he's kind of the guy that's been gluing everybody together. I feel like he has a great relationship with everybody on the team. Yeah man, he's fun to be around and fun to play with.
&ldquo;It's been fun playing with Malik and Davion and TD (Terence Davis) and also Trey [Lyles] at times. I feel like during practice and stuff, we're usually like the second unit that kinda does everything together, so we're always laughing, joking. But I think at the end of the day, we understand the task at hand because I feel like our job is to either keep the lead going or give us the energy to bring us back into a game. So either way, we have to have high energy at all times. I feel like we've been doing a great job of that.&rdquo;
Brown has his own way of describing Monk&rsquo;s effect on his ball club.
&ldquo;You know, he's a free spirit. Malik is what I call a connector,&rdquo; Brown said. &ldquo;He just brings people together and he uplifts people all the time. He talks to everybody and he jokes with everybody, he touches everybody and everybody on the team has respect for him &mdash; not just for him as a person, but also they know that when he speaks, he knows what he's talking about because he's right a lot of the times.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
&ldquo;Malik is what I call a connector &mdash; he just brings people together. He uplifts people all the time &hellip; and everybody on the team has respect for him.&rdquo; Coach Brown on what <a href="https://twitter.com/AhmadMonk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AhmadMonk</a> brings to the squad on and off the court 👑 <a href="https://t.co/bwEuauVWBc">pic.twitter.com/bwEuauVWBc</a>
&mdash; Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) <a href="https://twitter.com/SacramentoKings/status/1601365754313596929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2022</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;He's a talented, talented basketball player, and sometimes, especially when they're young like he is &mdash; he's young, but he has an old soul and he understands what's right, what's wrong and the right way to do things and all that.&rdquo;
Altogether, the 24-year-old has found a niche and a comfortability with this Kings team. A lot of that has to do with a consistent role with consistent minutes, which he has found the last couple of seasons between L.A. and Sacramento as opposed to the sporadic nature in the past when he was with the Charlotte Horntes.
&ldquo;It's the biggest relief, man,&rdquo; Monk admitted. &ldquo;I know when I'mma go in, I know when I'mma come out, I know when I'mma go back in again. So it's just a relief, and it just gives me way more confidence to go out there and play my game.&rdquo;
From a young age, Monk has always been passionate about his apparel. He told Basketball News that when he was a kindergartner living with his mom, his older brother Marcus &mdash; a former NFL wide receiver who played for the Chicago Bears &mdash; always rocked BAPE clothing line. Malik latched on to style because of that and has kept up to date with the latest fashion ever since.
On Friday, Monk came into Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse wearing a fuzzy skeleton sweater with black paints, matching shoes and some bling to top it off. Pregame, his teammates tried to figure out what brand he was going with.
&ldquo;Look man, he spends a lot of money on his clothes. They better look good. That's all I'mma say,&rdquo; Metu said with a chuckle.
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<a href="https://t.co/Ol8wlMxDpz">pic.twitter.com/Ol8wlMxDpz</a>
&mdash; Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) <a href="https://twitter.com/SacramentoKings/status/1601371494747369473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;If my fit not as up to how I want it, man, I feel like I'll go out there and be a little down. But I haven't done that this year. All my fits been pretty decent so far. Yeah man, it's always 'look good, feel good, play good,'&rdquo; Monk said.
Clearly, Malik Monk has been a positive influence in Sacramento. It&rsquo;s a big reason why they&rsquo;re in the thick of it in the Western Conference &mdash; and that doesn&rsquo;t seem to be changing anytime soon.
&ldquo;I just try to bring everybody life, man,&rdquo; Monk said. &ldquo;Losing streaks, it's gonna happen. It's a game of runs, especially in basketball. So I just try to make everybody feel the same every day. 'Cause we know we're gonna be together for the rest of the year, so I just try to make sure we're like this instead of like that.&rdquo;

Spencer Davies dives into Malik Monk's positive effect on the Sacramento Kings — on and off the floor — in an exclusive interview.

The Connector: Malik Monk's infectious energy breathes life into Kings

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; The Golden State Warriors are playing dominant basketball for stretches, then struggling to defend during others.
Stephen Curry scored 28 of his 33 points during an 89-point first half, and the defending champions beat former top assistant Mike Brown and his Sacramento Kings 130-125 on Sunday night.
Curry, who recorded his third straight 30-point performance to start the season, scored 21 points in the second quarter with five 3-pointers and shot 11 for 22 overall, including 7 of 12 on 3s. The reigning NBA Finals MVP helped Golden State to its third-most points in any half in franchise history and second-most in a first half. The Warriors' 50 points in the second quarter were a franchise record and matched the third-most points in any period.
&ldquo;It was fun, 89 points in the first half, that's crazy,&rdquo; Jordan Poole said.
Curry has three straight 30-point games to start a season for the second time in his career, also done in 2018-19.
Sacramento cut a 26-point deficit down to four on Chimezie Metu&rsquo;s dunk with 1:04 left before Golden State held on.
&ldquo;We played at times brilliantly and we couldn&rsquo;t sustain it,&rdquo; coach Steve Kerr said. &ldquo;It was closer than it should have been, but I give Sacramento a lot of credit. Mike's doing a great job with those guys. They're fighting, they're competing. They've had three close losses now to start the year. ... We let our guard down and they took advantage of it.&rdquo;
Andrew Wiggins added 24 points with a driving slam to beat the final buzzer and Poole also scored 24 as the Warriors shot 51.7%. Klay Thompson was held to eight points on 3-for-10 shooting.
De&rsquo;Aaron Fox scored 26 after two 30-point games and Domantas Sabonis contributed 19 points and 14 rebounds, but didn't play in the fourth for winless Sacramento (0-3) in the second night of a back-to-back. The Kings, who lost 111-109 at home to the Clippers on Saturday night, attempted 100 shots Sunday and their three defeats have been decided by 14 total points.
&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t give up 50 points in the second quarter, or no quarters," guard Malik Monk said. "It&rsquo;s hard to win an NBA game like that.&rdquo;
Brown, in his first year as Kings coach, received his championship ring from Kerr in a pregame ceremony on the court along with Sacramento assistant Leandro Barbosa, who also was part of the Warriors' fourth title in eight years.
BROWN'S RETURN
Brown came down the hallway from the visiting locker room and snuck up on Kerr, then <a href="https://twitter.com/JanieMcCAP/status/1584320936072777728">they chuckled and hugged</a>.
The 52-year-old Brown filled in for Kerr for three playoff games last spring when Golden State's coach had COVID-19. Brown also went 11-0 guiding the Warriors through postseason games during the team&rsquo;s 2017 title run while Kerr was out dealing with debilitating symptoms stemming from complications of back surgery. Kerr returned for Game 2 of the NBA Finals that year.
&ldquo;Mike is brilliant. He&rsquo;s just got so much energy, so much love for the game, love for his job, for his work,&rdquo; Kerr said. &ldquo;He brings his enthusiasm every single day and that&rsquo;s what we enjoyed so much over the last five, six years, however long he was here, and he and I were really a perfect pair. He sort of covered up for my weaknesses and complemented me really well. I just loved being around him. Thrilled for him. It&rsquo;s a great opportunity.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Kings: A night after making just 15 of 26 free throws, the Kings went 20 for 25 from the line. ... Sacramento started 1 for 8 on 3s and wound up 11 for 43. ... Sacramento committed 46 fouls its first two games, then 29 more Sunday.
Warriors: G Donte DiVincenzo injured a hamstring and won't travel to Phoenix. He will be re-evaluated later in the week. ... The Warriors have seven 50-point quarters. The franchise record for a half is 92 points on Oct. 29, 2018, at Chicago .... F Andre Iguodala missed his third straight game to start the season as the Warriors stay cautious with his nagging left hip.
UP NEXT
Kings: Host Memphis on Thursday.
Warriors: Visit the Suns on Tuesday.

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I have a particular affinity for whiteboards. My thoughts are pretty unorganized and the most random thoughts about Jalen Duren's potential as a short-roller or Chimezie Metu's face-up game will come to me at any odd hour of the day. Expo markers and whiteboards all around me are an absolute must and godsend. I have three in my room, one dedicated strictly to future story ideas and league wide trends I'm curious about. One constant on that board since mid-November; Why are the Oklahoma City Thunder good at defense?
The defense has been above league average for the majority of the season, they have length and athleticism, and a few defenders who routinely stand out in watching. Yet, I couldn't really point my finger as to&nbsp;why.
Due to the public plea from Alex Speers (listen to <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/down-to-dunk-okc-thunder-podcast/id599740073" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Down to Dunk</a>), I finally made it a mission to really get into the thick of it and get a better view of what makes the Thunder such an effective defensive team.
Per Cleaning the Glass, OKC is 12th in defensive efficiency on the season: Not bad, above average, but nothing crazy. Ultimately, better than I'd expect (They finished in 26th last season, but were above average prior to Al Horford sitting the remainder of the season).
Fine tune it a bit more; they're 10th in defense in 2022. Ok, we've got something here.
Flip through a few more lenses, choose between one and two, and cycle to the halfcourt: The Thunder have allowed 90.7 points per 100 possessions in the halfcourt since the turn of the year, the third best mark in the league. That's not just good, that's bordering on elite. For perspective, the Utah Jazz were first in halfcourt defensive efficiency last season and allowed 91.3 pp/100.&nbsp;
Ok man, what is going on here?! Where has this come from?
Oddly enough, the Thunder told us themselves early in the season in a 56 second video (Sidenote: How does this video only have ~300 views? It has great production value, a sick beat and what more could you want frankly?)
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As Darius Bazley tells us "If a guy's going for a layup or a dunk, that's a moment of truth, whether you're gonna take the charge or you're gonna go up to attempt to block it or verticality."
This is the first piece of the puzzle. The Thunder contest everything at the rim. While not necessarily an indicator of defense one way or another, the Thunder lead the NBA in contests per game according to Second Spectrum (partially because of something we'll hit on in a bit).
They don't generate steals or blocks at an above average rate, they lack a true defensive anchor at the five spot, and yet, they make it work. However, that's part of the charm in OKC's defense.&nbsp;
Legendary (and somehow underrated) rap duo, Gang Starr, had an incredible album called Moment of Truth, including a track of the same name. First of all, this is one of the few 20 track double-sided albums that's worth it. Secondly, I'd like to think Mark Daigneault is just a massive fan of Gang Starr and built this mantra with Guru's lyrics in mind, and Premo's beat as the foundation.
"Peep the language. It's universal, you play with fire it may hurt you."
The Oklahoma City Thunder simply do NOT play with fire. Everything about their defense is solid. Their whole identity is crafted around managing firepower. Gum up what the offense wants and force them into really difficult looks without gambling.
They allow the 2nd fewest attempts at the rim in 2022 (4th on the season), while holding opponents to 62.6% shooting at the rim over the same span (5th). They squeeze offenses to only 27.1% of all shots coming within four feet of the basket.&nbsp;
OKC's mission every possession is to shrink the floor, slow drives, take away the open lanes, and chew the clock.
This is the defense before the first action.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/start-of-set_lg.png" alt="" />
This is the defense after the first action hits.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/after-screen_lg.png" alt="" />
All five Thunder defenders shrink the floor; Aaron Wiggins cheats off Nikola Vucevic in help for Lu Dort if LaVine chooses to drive. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander high tags off of Ayo Dosunmu to speed bumpo a Vucevic roll (below average above the break shooter), and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl pre-rotates as the low-man, another added line of defense.
They almost operate like a slinky, capable of consistently compressing and stretching to adapt to the action presented to them.
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Preventing quick rolls and neutralizing pick-and-rolls before they can fully develop puts out those fires before they can spread. The Thunder are willing to just stay solid and concede a contested pull-up two (2nd most allowed in 2022 per Cleaning the Glass), where they get torched in all fairness as opponents shoot an undgodly 53.3%, but part of that is shot luck/variance, and that's still a more difficult shot than anything at the rim.
"Nobody's invincible, no plan is foolproof."
You'd think a team that routinely plays without a true defensive five would switch a great deal, but that's not the Thunder's motive!&nbsp;
They can and do switch fairly often, but they're adept at late-switching with backend rotations in tandem to stem the tide. The communication and team trust is apparent.
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Dort gets stonewalled by an immaculate Bruce Brown screen. Wiggins is normally going to show high and recover to Brown on his slowed roll as JRE high tags with SGA pre-rotating backline.
However, Wiggins switches with Dort out of the picture, Dort recovers to take Day'Ron Sharpe under the rim as SGA closes back out to Kessler Edwards. A fantastic defensive possession all-around.
Opposing teams will mix-in different screening angles to try and force switches, and the Thunder again are adept at switching actively, but also under control.&nbsp;
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They time their switches well, they don't bite too hard, and they know their length, making it hard for opposition to take any sort of advantage out of the ballscreen.
So yes, no plan is foolproof, but the Thunder almost revel in that. Dort is an exceptional man to man defender, but their money is made working as one, holding a sort of defensive battle line in what they are and aren't willing to concede, and utilizing their strengths (length and communication) to ward off drives.&nbsp;
They rarely close-out hard to the perimeter, choosing instead to instill choppin feet out to shooters. There's no right or wrong way to close-out in my opinion, but the Thunder choose this seemingly to further embody their ethos of staying solid without allowing drives to the heart of the court. Some shooting luck has benefitted them from above the break misses (2nd in non-corner 3-point percentage allowed in 2022), but the plan is executed well.
"Actions have reactions, don't be quick to judge."
One of the other aspects I love about the Thunder defense is their willingness to differentiate looks based on personnel.&nbsp;
They'll often play back-up five Mike Muscala in a short drop, but call quick blitzes based on the shot clock and ball-handler.&nbsp;
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They're selective with pressure, but when they do it, they're 100% committed.
If an offense starts to throw in Spain actions (pick and roll with a backscreen and replacement to the arc) or similar differentiations to throw off the regular defense, that's fine! The Thunder call out their screens incredibly well. They normally stick Dort on star players and fight to not give up the match-up, but they won't do it at the expense of jeopardizing a deep drive
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It seems simple, but that's part of the point. OKC makes the small things a point of emphasis. Consistent communication and five players all engaged, they can combat more complex actions that could throw off a less together group.
"Sometimes you gotta dig deep when problems come near. Don't fear, things get severe for everybody everywhere."
The Thunder are long, they're athletic, and man they seem irritating to play against. Again, they don't go out of their way to turn the ball over, but their length and ability to bother anything on the interior is hard to deny.
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SGA has some draw-backs and shortcomings as an on-ball defender, but he has really sharp hands in passing lanes and many unsuspecting ball-handlers have had their pocket picked or shot tipped by him.
The Thunder in general lack true lockdown ball-stoppers outside of Dort and Kenrich Williams.
Navigating screens isn't the strength of the Thunder, but they're tremendous at defending screens. It sounds like a paradoxical equation, but it comes back to communication.
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Dort is caught getting back still and the Hornets flow into some early offense. But, here comes JRE, calling out the play at first for Dort, but also operating as a middle linebacker, filling the gap and blowing it up before damage can be caused. Dort reconnects, and it's all settled down. It seems minute in the moment, but I can't speak highly enough of what JRE has done for Oklahoma City's defense.
His positioning and court-mapping as a defender are impressive. He knows how to get the most out of his length (or lack thereof) and size. He directs the defense with guile. If I'd never watched him or the Thunder, you could easily convince me he was already a 2nd or 3rd contract player.
That is such an easy bucket for the Hornets if the communication isn't there.
The Thunder actively have all players involved playing both sides of the screen. So often, defenders are strictly doing their sole purpose, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, but the Thunder FIGHT those screens like a ship fighting an ocean storm. Some defenses will let screens happen and react, OKC attacks them.
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Dort and JRE are absolutely swarming that screen on the first possession, almost like an Oklahoma drill in football with two players actively defending Harden. They actively prevent the chance to roll from Griffin by interchangeably attacking the screen, while also negating Harden a chance to drive.
Consequently, they can be susceptible to screen slips, particularly from bouncy screeners. Playing this aggressively on screening action leaves you open to trickery.
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It is tough to stop a slipping Miles Bridges in open space without a top-notch rim protector.
"You got no hand skills, there's no security to save ya."
No defense is perfect, and OKC is no exception, with two vices that are extremely hard to understate.
Part of the difficulty in routinely not playing a traditional five: their rebounding is atrocious. It's not always for lack of trying, but they're not great at boxing out, often are just outmatched on the interior, and they give up a decent amount of long rebounds because of how willing they are to shrink the floor.
They're 18th in defensive rebounding percentage on the season, but a paltry 28th in 2022, and it is painstakingly obvious when watching. They sometimes make 3 or 4 stops in a row, but more possessions means more opportunities for the offense.&nbsp;
To say that the Thunder have a "bad" offense would be unkind to the other teams that are below average. They're 30th on the season in offensive efficiency, scoring 14.4 points per 100 possessions less than the league leading Utah Jazz. You've likely seen the Lakers play a few times this year and how rough their offense can be. They score 6.8 points per 100 possessions more than OKC, <a href="https://youtu.be/MpUWrl3-mc8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">yeah it's that rough!</a>&nbsp;
They turn the ball over a great deal, miss a lot (30th in rim shooting percentage), and thus give up a ton of transition opportunities.
That makes the growing defense all the more impressive.
This team isn't good, but they're growing. There have been real flashes of potential. The roster is bought in and committed to the scheme, and while it doesn't gloss over the offensive shortcomings, it's something to hang their hat on.
There's a defensive backbone that could form the foundation of the next great era of Thunder basketball, not unlike the early Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka squads that sported numerous top 10 defenses.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are on track for another top five pick during a clear tanking year, but don't be fooled by the record, a real identity is growing in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are top-10 in defense since the start of 2022. What makes the Thunder defense so effective?

The Oklahoma City Thunder's emerging defensive identity

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Christian Wood had 23 points and 14 rebounds, Eric Gordon made a clutch bucket with 12.5 seconds remaining and the Houston Rockets held off the Sacramento Kings 118-112 on Sunday night.
Kevin Porter Jr. added 23 points and seven assists for the Rockets. Garrison Mathews scored 17, while Eric Gordon and Jalen Green had 15 points apiece.
&ldquo;We were ready to play tonight,&rdquo; Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not a playoff team yet but when we are this is what it&rsquo;s going to look like. We&rsquo;re trying to learn as many lessons as we can. I was proud of them for that.&rdquo;
Buddy Hield scored 27 points for Sacramento, 10 of which came in the fourth quarter. Terence Davis had 17 points, and De&rsquo;Aaron Fox added 14 points before getting ejected in the fourth after getting called for a Flagrant 2.
The Rockets, who lost to the Kings 126-114 on Friday, trailed going into the fourth but took control with an 18-5 run. Mathews had eight points during the run, including a four-point play, moments after he crashed to the court following the hard foul by Fox.
After Sacramento got within 114-112 with 47.8 seconds remaining, Green grabbed an offensive rebound and fed it low to Gordon who scored. Porter added two free throws.
&ldquo;Everybody played big,&rdquo; Wood said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s good to see everybody click on the same page. We can build off of this.&rdquo;
Houston held a 47-37 rebounding advantage. Both teams scored 50 points in the paint.
&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t keep them out of the paint and they kept enough of a lead that it puts a lot of pressure on you to score,&rdquo; Kings interim coach Alvin Gentry said. &ldquo;We created some really good shots. It&rsquo;s just a matter of us knocking them down.&rdquo;
The Rockets jumped out to a fast start and led 13-0 and 21-5 before the Kings got going.
After Barnes&rsquo; 3-pointer cut Houston&rsquo;s lead to one, Chimezie Metu sank a corner 3 that gave the Kings their first lead. Fox later connected on a short jumper and Barnes made a free throw after Gordon&rsquo;s technical to put Sacramento ahead 60-55.
The Kings fell behind in the third but closed the quarter on a 13-4 run.
WOOD&rsquo;S FAST START
For the second game in a row, Wood had a dominant first quarter, scoring 10 points and grabbing seven rebounds. The difference this time was that the Rockets&rsquo; big man was able to stay on the court. On Friday, Wood scored 15 points in the first 7&frac12; minutes but picked up his third foul moments later and spent the rest of the half on the bench.
HE DID THAT
Davis ripped the ball out of Green&rsquo;s hands while the Houston rookie was driving for a layup, drove the length of the court and was fouled while scoring on a one-handed dunk. The Rockets challenged the call but lost, and Davis completed the three-point play.
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TIP-INS
Rockets: Wood had two steals and two blocks. &hellip; Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate and Gordon received a technical fouls in the first half.
Kings: Sacramento missed seven of its first nine shots. &hellip; Tyrese Haliburton has entered the NBA&rsquo;s health and safety protocol. &hellip; Marvin Bagley III, coming off his best game of the season, was held out with right shoulder soreness. &hellip; Richaun Holmes returned to the lineup after missing eight games while in the health and safety protocol. &hellip; Damian Jones, also back from the health and safety protocol, was called for a technical foul in the second quarter.
UP NEXT
Rockets: Face the Jazz in Utah on Wednesday.
Kings: Host the Pistons on Wednesday.

Christian Wood had 23 points and 14 rebounds, Eric Gordon made a clutch bucket with 12.5 seconds remaining to sink the Kings 118-112.

Gordon's late basket helps Rockets hold off Kings 118-112

TOKYO (AP) &mdash; The U.S. men&rsquo;s basketball team was about to start playing its final warm-up for the Tokyo Olympics a few days ago in Las Vegas, and Spain&rsquo;s Ricky Rubio found himself in a pregame conversation with American guard Zach LaVine.
Rubio has well over a decade of experience in the international game. LaVine has a few weeks.
&ldquo;This is different,&rdquo; LaVine told Rubio.
Rubio nodded. LaVine wasn&rsquo;t wrong.
The rims are 10 feet high and much of the court looks the same as what American NBA players are used to, but the nuances of the international game &mdash; the Olympic game &mdash; are much different. Quarters are 10 minutes long instead of 12, games move more quickly with fewer time-outs, the 3-point line is closer, the level of physicality is higher and much of what happens on defense under FIBA rules simply doesn&rsquo;t fly in the NBA.
&ldquo;I mean, it&rsquo;s basketball, but it&rsquo;s a little different,&rdquo; Rubio said. &ldquo;That being said, it&rsquo;s not just the rules, it&rsquo;s the role they have on the team as well. Maybe you have one or two shots in the first quarter when you usually have like five or six in the first five minutes of the game, and you have to be ready for that. There&rsquo;s a lot of handchecks; it&rsquo;s called different in NBA than in FIBA. There is a lot of physicality. I will say, it&rsquo;s played different.&rdquo;
And as U.S. coach Gregg Popovich has pointed out many times &mdash; first when he coached the Americans in the Basketball World Cup two years ago and now in the lead-up to the Tokyo Games &mdash; that many of the teams in the Olympics have been together before and have a familiarity with the different rules.
He&rsquo;s been preaching about it often with this group, particularly the element of a 40-minute game versus the NBA&rsquo;s 48-minute variety.
&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t have a bad quarter,&rdquo; Popovich said. &ldquo;In the NBA, you can do that. But those last eight minutes are really important. Sometimes, that&rsquo;s where talent takes over, in the last eight minutes. But in a 40-minute game there are many fewer possessions. Your turnovers become more important. ... In a sense, it&rsquo;s more of an NCAA one-and-done thing than it is being in an NBA playoff and you might have a second game poor but you can come back the third game and the fourth game and so on and so forth.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a matter of extreme focus, expecting nothing, asking for nothing, and being very, very serious from the get-go.&rdquo;
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Perhaps out of habit, some players on the U.S. team argued for a goaltending call against Nigeria&rsquo;s Chimezie Metu in the Americans&rsquo; first exhibition game in Las Vegas. Kevin Durant was taking a free throw for the U.S., and as his second shot bounced on the rim Metu reached up and knocked it away. That&rsquo;s goaltending in the NBA, but legal under FIBA rules.
And U.S. forward Keldon Johnson seemed a bit surprised when he picked up his fifth foul in the game against Spain and got told he had fouled out. In the NBA, the sixth foul sends someone to the bench for the rest of the evening; in FIBA, it only takes five.
&ldquo;As the game goes on, as we continue to go through this process, we&rsquo;re figuring out the difference between the international game and the game we play,&rdquo; U.S. guard Damian Lillard said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s been moments where we&rsquo;re all looking around saying &lsquo;what&rsquo;s going on?&rsquo; We&rsquo;re learning on the fly.&rdquo;
Zone defense is a big part of the international game; NBA teams play zone as well, but with the twist that the defensive 3-second rule still applies. That rule isn&rsquo;t in the FIBA book, so teams can pack the paint for the entirety of a defensive possession if so inclined.
There are other little differences as well, such as how backcourt fouls are whistled and what constitutes a travel.
&ldquo;Everybody is learning,&rdquo; Nigeria coach Mike Brown said. &ldquo;Including me.&rdquo;
What the Americans are learning is that Rubio was right. The game is the same &mdash; just very different.
&ldquo;I think the different rules are going to be an adjustment,&rdquo; U.S. forward Jerami Grant said. &ldquo;But that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re here working on right now. We&rsquo;ve got a great group of guys, certainly a talented group of guys and we&rsquo;re learning pretty fast.&rdquo;

The rims are 10 feet high and the court looks similar, but the nuances of the Olympic game are different than NBA basketball.

Team USA players learning differences between NBA, Olympic hoops

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Nigeria probably didn&rsquo;t expect it, either.
If there was any expectation of invincibility for the Americans heading into the Tokyo Olympics, it&rsquo;s already gone &mdash; after Nigeria shocked the U.S. 90-87 on Saturday night.
Nigeria pulled off an international shocker with a roster primarily filled of little-known NBA players that found a way to beat a group of All-NBA, All-Star and max-contract performers.
&ldquo;I thought that the Nigerian team played very physically, did a great job in that regard and knocked down a lot of 3s,&rdquo; U.S. coach Gregg Popovich said. &ldquo;Give them credit.&rdquo;
Gabe Nnamdi, who goes by Gabe Vincent when playing for the Miami Heat, led Nigeria with 21 points. Caleb Agada scored 17 points, Ike Nwamu added 13 and Nigeria outscored the U.S. 60-30 from 3-point range.
Kevin Durant, who had never before played in a loss for USA Basketball in 39 senior international games, had 17 points. Jayson Tatum added 15, Damian Lillard had 14 and Bam Adebayo 11.
&ldquo;Just goes to show that we have to play better,&rdquo; Tatum said.
The Americans had gone 39-0 in their last three Olympic seasons &mdash; including pre-Olympic exhibitions &mdash; on their way to gold medals and had been 54-2 in major exhibitions since NBA players began playing for USA Basketball in 1992. Plus, they&rsquo;d beaten Nigeria by a combined 127 points in their last two meetings, one at the 2012 London Games, the other a warm-up for the 2016 Rio Games.
Nigeria lost to the U.S. at the 2012 Olympics by 83 points. Lost to the Americans again four years later in an exhibition, that time by 44 points.
Not this time.
&ldquo;Nigeria&rsquo;s come a long way with their basketball,&rdquo; USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said.
Ike Iroegbu &mdash; a former Washington State player who some time in the G League &mdash; hit a 3-pointer with about 1:15 left to put Nigeria up 88-80. Durant scored the next seven points for the U.S.; a 3-pointer, two free throws following a turnover, then two more from the line with 16.5 seconds remaining.
Nnamdi made two foul shots with 13.2 seconds left to restore Nigeria&rsquo;s 3-point edge. The Americans ran 9.7 seconds off the clock on the ensuing possession without getting a shot off, and Zach LaVine missed a pair of free throws &mdash; the second intentionally &mdash; with 3.5 seconds left.
Precious Achiuwa got the rebound for Nigeria, and that was it. It&rsquo;s only an exhibition &mdash; but the upset was still of the massive variety, the 22nd-ranked nation by FIBA beating the No. 1-ranked team and three-time reigning Olympic gold medalists.
Popovich heard the final buzzer and shook hands with Nigeria coach Mike Brown, the Golden State assistant, as the Americans walked off stunned.
There was an injury scare for the Americans late in the second quarter, when LaVine got hurt on a play where he was closing out against Nnamdi. He went airborne after a head fake and came down awkwardly, grabbing at his left ankle before getting up and going directly to the U.S. locker room.
LaVine was fine and returned in the third quarter.
The bigger scare was the scoreboard. Nigeria trailed only 43-41 at the half, led for long stretches of the opening 20 minutes, and simply wasn&rsquo;t going away.
TIP-INS
Nigeria: Achiuwa had perhaps the night&rsquo;s top defensive play with 1:23 left in the first half, reaching with his left hand to block a Durant dunk attempt. ... Nigeria outrebounded the U.S. 46-34.
USA: Darius Garland and Saddiq Bey were Select Team players who got into the game. The Olympic team needed extra players because Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Devin Booker are at the NBA Finals. ... The U.S. got 32 free-throw attempts to Nigeria&rsquo;s 10.
FREE THROW DEFENSE
Nigeria&rsquo;s Chimezie Metu had a brilliant play in the third quarter &mdash; committing what would be goaltending in the NBA. Durant was taking a free throw, and as his shot bounced on the rim Metu reached up and knocked the shot away. That&rsquo;s a legal play under FIBA rules.
UP NEXT
Nigeria: Face Argentina on Monday in Las Vegas.
USA: Face Australia on Monday in Las Vegas.
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Nigeria upset Team USA in a pre-Olympic exhibition.