The Sports Xchange
Dec 20, 2017
NEW YORK -- George Hill scored 22 points as the Sacramento Kings nearly blew a 21-point lead and held on for a 104-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.
Hill returned from missing the Kings' Tuesday win in Philadelphia due to an illness. He shot 7 of 9 from the field while making all four 3-point attempts as the Kings (11-20) won for the first time in six tries on the second night of a back-to-back.
Zach Randolph added 21 and eight rebounds as Sacramento also improved to 5-4 in its past nine road games after losing eight straight on the road.
Spencer Dinwiddie led the Nets with 16 points while DeMarre Carroll added 15. Brooklyn (11-19) lost its fourth straight game by shooting 38.6 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent (15 of 42) from 3-point range.
The Kings held a 21-point lead early in the second quarter, but the Nets gradually chipped into it getting their deficit to 86-75 going into the fourth and 97-95 with about four minutes remaining.
Sacramento struggled to close it, and a three-point play by Dinwiddie cut the lead to 101-99 with 70 seconds remaining. However, the Nets could not tie it on their next possession as Allen Crabbe misfired on an 18-footer.
Following a missed 3-pointer by Sacramento's Garrett Temple and a missed put-back by Willie Cauley-Stein, the Nets missed two shots and Quincy Acy committed a turnover on a drive to the rim with 11.1 seconds left.
With 10.7 seconds remaining, Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic split a pair of free throws to bump the lead to three. The Nets called timeout, and Dinwiddie missed a 3-pointer with five seconds left, but Carroll grabbed the rebound and Brooklyn took its final timeout with 4.6 seconds left.
After the timeout, Joe Harris struggled to get the ball inbounds, and when he did, Dinwiddie was unable to handle it and the ball went out of bounds. Sacramento finally finished the game when Hill hit two free throws.
NOTES: Sacramento rookie G De'Aaron Fox (right quadriceps contusion) sat out for the second time in three games. He was limited to 11 minutes Tuesday at Philadelphia before exiting. ... Sacramento G Vince Carter, who was acquired by the Nets 13 years ago, did not play. ... Brooklyn's 20 points in the first quarter were the Nets' lowest total in a home game. ... Nets C Jahlil Okafor was a DNP-CD (did not play, coach's decision) for the sixth time since being obtained from Philadelphia on Dec. 9. ... Brooklyn F Quincy Acy hit a 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter, but it didn't count since he released the ball after the horn sounded.