3 Positive Takeaways From Kings Overtime Thriller Over Lakers

The Sacramento Kings capped off their first week of the 2023-24 NBA season with a nail-biting victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night. With a final score of 132-127, the Kings dragged the Lakers through overtime despite All-NBA duo G De'Aaron Fox and C Domantas Sabonis on the bench for the final stretch.

A fouled-out Sabonis and injured Fox could not finish the game for Sacramento, but the supporting cast got the job done over the L.A. superstar duo of F LeBron James and C Anthony Davis, despite impressive performances from both.

The Kings make a statement with the electric win, with three takeaways following the star-studded matchup:

De'Aaron Fox making an early case for MVP

The Kings are off to a 2-1 start to kick off their 2023-24 championship-minded campaign, with Fox leading the charge. The All-Star point guard is cementing himself as one of the best in the league, with 37 points and eight steals, shooting 14-24 from the field and 3-8 from deep.

Despite an ankle injury in the fourth quarter that caused Fox to head to the locker room, the 25-year-old guard returned to action when Sacramento needed him most. Under foul trouble for the majority of the game, Fox stayed resilient until his body gave in and forced him to sit for the last three minutes of overtime.

The reigning NBA Clutch Player of the Year has torched defenses again and again, consistently doing so in a dominant fashion. Fox is expected to continue to improve all facets of his game, as the league has been put on notice for the All-Star guard in Sacramento.

Malik Monk: The go-to-guy in Fox's absence

When the reigning NBA Clutch Player of the Year goes out of the game in overtime, somebody has to step up and take the reigns. On Sunday night, the man of the hour was G Malik Monk.

Monk finished the game with 22 points, scoring 11 of the team's 17 overtime points. After back-to-back games with 6+ assists off the bench, Monk knew the team needed him to get buckets this time.

The 25-year-old guard is making an early case for 6th Man of the Year, with a vital performance off the bench in a statement win. The Kings need Monk to continue to play at this high level if they are serious about a 2024 championship push.

Kevin Huerter makes a statement to doubters

Despite another poor shooting performance, going 4-12 from the field and 3-7 from deep, Huerter shined when the Kings needed him. Following a zero-point outing on Friday, Huerter contributed 12 points, including a clutch three-pointer in overtime to put Sacramento up by five with 30 seconds left.

The Kings need a consistent Huerter if they want to keep winning, but after a horrendous first two games, the 25-year-old sharpshooter looked more like his true self in the overtime win.

The guard trio of Fox, Monk, and Huerter provide electricity to the Kings offense, so when Huerter is knocking down his shots, Sacramento is virtually unstoppable.

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