The Sacramento Kings had a counter for every Miami Heat punch on Tuesday evening. Until the second and final overtime.
That’s right, a second overtime.
The Kings took the defending champions beyond regulation in South Beach, but ran out of gas in the end. They fell 141-129 to the Heat in a thrilling double-overtime defeat.
Sacramento falls to 19-39 overall and 5-26 on the road. Their five-game trip rolls into Orlando, where they’ll face the Magic tomorrow to conclude a two-games-in-two-nights set.
Notes and Analysis
- Marcus Thornton was unconscious from long-range. He connected on a career-high eight 3-pointers on 12 attempts in what was his best performance of the season. The Kings sixth-man also led Sacramento in scoring with a season-high 36 points.
- LeBron James played this game like a marathon and not a sprint. The reigning MVP had just eight points and five assists at halftime, but turned it up a notch when it mattered most. He finished with a season-high 40 points and career-high 16 assists while scoring 11 of Miami’s 17 points in the final overtime period.
- Dwyane Wade was equally as dominant. The 2006 Finals MVP scored 39 points on an incredible 19-of-28 from the field. He scored 22 of those points after halftime.
- DeMarcus Cousins had his way with Chris Bosh in the interior. The Kings starting center manhandled the Heat starting center en route to a 24 point, 15 rebound and five assist night. It should be noted that Cousins also shot an effective 58.8 percent from the field on 10-of-17 shooting.
- Ray Allen had his moment in the sun in the fourth quarter. Allen scored 11 of his 21 points off the Heat bench in the final period of regulation. Had the Kings not been so hot offensively, Allen might have been the difference. The Heat veteran made 5-of-10 3-point attempts in the victory.
- John Salmons scored 15 points and dished out seven assists, but it was his defense on LeBron James that stood out most. Now James still finished with a monstrous line, but the veteran small forward stymied the 2012 Finals MVP as best as he could throughout the night. Salmons helped extend the game by making a critical block on the world’s best player at the end of the first overtime.
- Stat of the Night: The Kings recorded a season-high 33 assists in defeat. Their previous high was 31 on Dec. 23 against Portland.
Three answers to three questions pondered
1. Which new King leaves his imprint on tonight’s game?
Once again, none of the new Kings players made an impact on the game at hand. Patrick Patterson played just 10 minutes and grabbed one rebound in defeat. Toney Douglas did not play due to coach’s decision. And finally, Cole Aldrich was not with the team.
2. Can Isaiah Thomas torch the Heat again?
Thomas didn’t have a huge scoring night like the last time he played Miami, but he didn’t have to. With DeMarcus Cousins, Marcus Thornton and Tyreke Evans carrying the offensive load tonight, Thomas played the role of facilitator. He chipped in a season-high nine assists in defeat while scoring just 14 points in the loss.
3. Will Tyreke Evans bounce back from his struggles around the rim Sunday?
Evans was more like himself and then some Tuesday evening. The Kings starting shooting guard scored 26 points on 11-of-19 shooting in just under 43 minutes of action. Evans had no trouble finishing around the rim this evening. According to NBA.com, he finished 10-of-13 on attempts in the restricted area.
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