Luguentz Dort recorded a steal and a layup in the final seconds to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a dramatic 105-103 win over the visiting Sacramento Kings on Friday night.
The Kings had the ball in the closing seconds, dribbling down the clock for a final shot before Dort made his move, lunging out at D’eAaron Fox, knocking the ball away and charging toward the bucket, where he laid it up over Buddy Hield with 1.7 seconds left to put the Thunder in front. Dort finished with 22 points.
Hield’s 3-pointer at the buzzer was offline, stretching the Thunder’s winning streak to four while the Kings’ losing streak stretched to four.
The win kept up Oklahoma City’s recent trend of coming from behind late.
In four of its five wins this season, the Thunder have trailed by at least 16 points.
On Friday, Oklahoma City trailed by 18 with just more than five minutes remaining in the third quarter before the Thunder reeled off a 12-2 run to get back into the game.
Darius Bazley scored the first eight points of the run.
Sacramento scored just 17 points in the fourth quarter, making 5 of 23 shots and 1 of 9 from behind the 3-point line. Oklahoma City outscored the Kings 18-6 in the paint in the fourth.
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During the three-game stretch heading into the game, the Kings trailed big in the first quarter each time out. But in this one, Sacramento took control early, slowly building its lead over the first three quarters.
The Kings never trailed until Tre Mann’s 3-pointer about midway through the fourth put the Thunder ahead for the first time.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also had 22 points, while Bazley had 15. Mann had a season-high 12, scoring seven in the fourth quarter.
Rookie Jeremiah Robinson-Earl had a season-high 14 rebounds for Oklahoma City. Robinson-Earl hadn’t had more than six rebounds in any of his first 10 NBA games.
Harrison Barnes led Sacramento with 21 points. Richaun Holmes had 16 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks.
–Field Level Media
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Author: Sportsnaut