What we learned as a melee in the game sparked the Kings’ win over the Rockets

What we learned was the in-game scuffle that sparked the Kings’ win over the Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX score

SACRAMENTO – There were scuffles, ejections, free pizza and – for the first time in a long time – chants of “Light the Beam” – as the Kings (10-12) beat the red-hot Houston Rockets (15-12). 7) with a final score of 120-111 on Tuesday night at the Golden 1 Center.

Sacramento hasn’t performed well in front of its home crowd this season, but was able to improve that record to 5-7 with its first win in the NBA Cup.

And boy, did fans have something to look forward to from start to finish at G1C.

After a sluggish first quarter for both teams, tensions flared in the second quarter as Dillon Brooks showed off his trademark antics. He was half-cleared in the quarter, which resulted in several technical fouls. But most importantly, the skirmish served as fuel for the Kings to finish the quarter strong and carry that energy into the second half.

Domantas Sabonis finished the game with a team-leading 27 points on 13 of 19 shooting, along with seven rebounds and four assists in 32 minutes. De’Aaron Fox scored 22 points on 9 of 19 shooting from the field and 4 of 6 from distance, with six rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block in 37 minutes.

DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk combined for 33 points.

Rookie big man Isaac Jones had a career night, finishing with 12 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting night.

It took a team effort, but the Kings found a way to finish off the Rockets, who entered Tuesday’s contest on a three-game winning streak and won five of their last six games.

Scuffle in the second quarter

Tensions rose in the second quarter of Tuesday’s game, and none other than self-proclaimed NBA villain Brooks was in the thick of it.

It started when Brooks took a dead ball away from Sabonis long after the final whistle, but Sabonis didn’t pay much attention to it.

His teammates did.

Monk and Fox exchanged a few words with Brooks and Jabari Smith Jr. and eventually had to be separated after the benches were nearly empty at 4:19 of the second quarter.

After several minutes of deliberation by the referees, which included Brooks being showered with boos as part of a theatrical Jumbotron show, Monk, Brooks and Smith Jr. were all assessed technical fouls.

And that lit a fire among the kings…

Stars shine under pressure

When things spiral out of control due to the Dillon Brooks Effect, there are two ways a team can respond.

Most of the time it goes in favor of Brooks, who knows how to get under the opposing players’ skin.

While the Kings certainly didn’t back down from the trash talk, they backed it up with their play.

It started with Fox, one of those players you don’t want to upset.

After those technical fouls were called, the Kings ended the quarter with an 11-1 run. Fox had 10 of those points. He finished the game with 22 points.

Sabonis was as steady as ever and played his role perfectly, finishing with 27 points.

And DeRozan was the veteran the team needed right now, showing leadership qualities both on and off the field. DeRozan added 16 points on 6 of 15 shooting.

It takes a village to win big games — and the Kings’ big three did what they were supposed to on Tuesday night.

Shooters shoot

Sacramento has not been a good 3-point shooting team this season. There is no other way to say it. Two of his sharpshooters, Kevin Huerter and Keegan Murray, have struggled to find a rhythm from beyond the arc this season.

Not on Tuesday.

Murray entered the contest shooting 27.4 percent from downtown in 21 games. He was asked about the shooting decline after practice on Monday, to which he responded that he wasn’t worried about it and was still confident he could turn things around.

His unwavering belief paid off Tuesday, and it appears the rookie sharpshooter who broke records two seasons ago is back for his third year.

Murray finished the game with 13 points on three triples, six rebounds and three blocks.

Meanwhile, Huerter, who returned from an ankle injury in the last game, struggled to get a shot and was even left out of the starting lineup and only had to sit on the bench for a few minutes.

He entered Tuesday’s game averaging 27.7 percent from deep in 18 games this season. On Tuesday, he scored 13 points and made three 3-pointers.

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