Harrison Barnes led a balanced attack with 20 points and the Sacramento Kings responded to their biggest deficit of the night with a game-ending, 19-point flurry that produced a stunning, 106-95 triumph over the host Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.
Kevin Huerter went for 19 points, while Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray each offered up 18 as the Kings rebounded from a trip-opening loss at Milwaukee to win for the fourth time in their last five games.
Caris LeVert had a game-high 22 points for the Cavaliers, who played without Donovan Mitchell, a late scratch with lower right leg soreness.
The see-saw affair saw the Kings, going without De’Aaron Fox (sore right foot), lead by as many as 15 points in the second quarter and the Cavaliers by as many as eight in the fourth, the latter coming when Cedi Osman scored from the interior for a 95-87 advantage with 4:50 to play.
The hosts never scored again.
Huerter got the game-winning flurry going with a 3-pointer. Then, after Barnes added a dunk and Davion Mitchell a layup, Huerter scored again from deep to make it a 10-0 run that suddenly had the visitors on top 97-95 with just 2:18 to go.
The Kings weren’t done. Barnes dropped in a free throw, Murray nailed a 3-pointer and Sabonis tipped in a Huerter miss to make it 16 straight points and a 103-95 lead in the final minute.
Davion Mitchell (one) and Barnes (two) then iced the win with free throws, completing the 19-0 barrage.
The Cavaliers missed their final 10 shots, including four 3-pointers, and mixed in a pair of turnovers. Sabonis had two blocks and Barnes one in the late defensive stand.
Murray hit six of his eight shots — all 3-point attempts — to help Sacramento outshoot the Cavaliers 53 percent to 43 percent overall and outscore them 48-30 from beyond the arc.
Sabonis capped a double-double with a game-high 18 rebounds and tied Mitchell and Cleveland’s LeVert and Darius Garland for game-high assist honors with six.
Garland also had 19 points, while Osman finished with 17 and Evan Mobley 16 for Cleveland, which lost for the second time in its last three games.
–Field Level Media
