Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
The Sacramento Kings snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in epic fashion on Monday night against the Houston Rockets.
Trailing by two points with one-second remaining in the game, Kings forward Nemanja Bjelica caught the inbounds pass and hoisted up a 33-foot three-point shot that beat the buzzer, propelling the Kings to a stunning 119-118 win on the road.
THAT. WAS. WILD. 🤯
The game was an absolute classic down the stretch, as both teams traded baskets in a wild final minute of the fourth quarter.
The Kings’ Buddy Hield drilled a 25-foot three-pointer to knot the game at 116 with eight seconds left.
Russell Westbrook would then end up hitting his biggest shot as a Rocket thus far, driving to the basket to give Houston a 118-116 lead with only one second remaining.
The Rockets looked to be heading to their third straight win until Bjelica’s prayers were answered with the buzzer-beater.
Kings Have Six Players Score in Double Figures
Buddy Hield led the way for the Kings on Monday with 26 points, including the late three-pointer that tied the game temporarily with 8.4 seconds to go.
Sacramento had an all-around effort from their roster, with six players scoring in double figures.
@SacramentoKings @HoustonRockets Bjelica calls it from long-distance.
The 6-foot-10, 234-pound power forward Bjelica not only showed his impressive range with the game-winning three-point shot but also tallied 17 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Kings Add Insult to Rockets’ Defeat
The Kings not only won on the court on Monday night but they went for the knockout blow following the game on Twitter, jabbing at the Rockets’ recent failed protest of a game they lost to the San Antonio Spurs.
The Rockets filed the protest following the league admitting that officials should have counted a dunk that James Harden had made, that was ultimately waved off.
The Kings’ tweet immediately following their huge upset win in Houston on Monday stated simply, “Protest that. #KingsFTW.”
Russell Westbrook Leads Way For Rockets in Losing Effort
Russell Westbrook did all he could do on Monday, including driving to the basket and scoring what looked at the time to be the game-winning shot with one second left.
Westbrook finished with 34 points, eight assists and three rebounds.
James Harden scored 27 points and added 10 assists and four rebounds in 40 minutes of action.
The Rockets were plagued by sloppy play against the Kings. The superstar duo of Harden and Westbrook combined for 14 of the team’s 19 total turnovers.