Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Spurs Break Beam in Overtime Victory vs. Kings
A pair of teams known for pushing the pace did just that on Sunday evening. The San Antonio Spurs finished the race with an overtime 142-134 victory over the Sacramento Kings. For a team with nothing to lose in the Spurs, they battled the playoff-bound Kings with an all-around commendable performance.
The Spurs set the tone, breaking out for an early first-quarter lead on the shockingly-good Kings. San Antonio’s effort shined in rebounding and 50-50 ball situations. Speaking of shining, Spurs rookie Julian Champagnie flamed the Kings defense with a 16-point outing in the second quarter.
Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox started slowly with a 2-8 field goal mark at halftime and recorded a donut in three-point conversions, missing all four attempts. However, the elusive guard would later explode in the fourth quarter.
The Spurs ignited from deep shooting 38 percent, while Sacramento converted only 25 percent.
Sacramento responded accordingly to start the half, as Domantas Sabonis' proceeded to bully the Spurs. Gregg Popovich earned a technical foul after aggressively reacting to a no-call on a Sabonis dunk. San Antonio ignited a 6-2 run following the technical foul.
Ultimately, though, the Spurs bench scoring and efficient three-point shooting saved the day. Doug McDermott and Champagnie combined for 54 points on an astounding 8-15 mark from the three-point line.
Fox and Sabonis also teamed up for 54 points, and rookie Keegan Murray provided an efficient effort, scoring 18 points, only missing three shots.
The valiant effort from the battered-and-bruised Spurs alludes to the character Gregg Popovich helped instill into this young team. Finishing the season with such a victory bodes well for the rebuilding Spurs.
Continuing its Western Conference road trip, San Antonio's next matchup is against the Phoenix Suns Tuesday evening.
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