Hot shooting helps Kings beat Miami Heat’s vaunted zone defense in 105-97 victory
Teams throughout the league have struggled to combat Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra’s 2-3 zone defense this season, but that’s one thing the Kings have done well.
The Kings used spacing, ball movement and a barrage of 3-point bombs to beat the Heat 105-97 on Friday night at Golden 1 Center. Sacramento shot 48.4 percent from the field and made 19 of 44 from 3-point range.
Bogdan Bogdanovic made six 3-pointers and scored 23 points to lead the Kings (20-31), who have won five of their last seven games. Buddy Hield came off the bench to post 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
“I felt like we moved the ball well, especially against the zone,” Bogdanovic said. “Whenever we had a nice set in the half court and we moved the ball well, it was open for everyone. We were just ready and knocked down some shots.”
De’Aaron Fox finished with 16 points and eight assists. Nemanja Bjelica added 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
“We were able to get good shots when they went zone,” Fox said. “Obviously, they went on runs, but we were able to answer and tonight, (on) most of our offensive possessions, we got a lot of good shots.”
Bam Adebayo had 26 points and seven rebounds for the Heat (34-17), who were shorthanded due to injuries and trades. Duncan Robinson had 18 points, six assists and five rebounds. Kendrick Nunn scored 16.
The Kings did a nice job of getting open shots in a 118-113 overtime loss to Miami on Jan. 20, but they shot poorly, making just 13 of 51 from beyond the arc. This time their shots were falling.
The Kings outscored the Heat 11-3 over the first three minutes, but Miami kept the game close despite the absences of several key players. Sacramento shot 68.4 percent while holding the Heat to 45.8 percent in the opening period, but the Kings were clinging to a two-point lead going into the second quarter.
Sacramento opened up a 10-point lead early in the second period. The Kings went up 48-37 on a 3-pointer by Bogdanovic with 4:14 to go, but the Heat ended the half with a 13-4 run to get within two at the halftime break.
Miami took a 54-52 lead early in the third quarter and went up 68-67 on a 3-pointer by Robinson. The Kings reclaimed the lead when Harry Giles III scored on a putback to start an 8-0 run for Sacramento.
The Kings carried an 83-76 lead into the fourth quarter. The Heat trailed by five when Cory Joseph and Nemanja Bjelica hit back-to-back 3-pointers to spark a 12-3 run that put the Kings up 98-84 with eight minutes remaining.
Holmes still sidelined
The Kings were hoping to have center Richaun Holmes back for Friday’s game, but now when he will return is unclear. The team issued a news release before the game to announce Holmes was still not ready to play after missing the previous 14 games with an injury to his right shoulder joint.
The Kings said Holmes is experiencing continued soreness after he was “integrated into modified team practice this week, portions of which included contact.” According to the news release, Holmes “will remain on his progression towards full-contact basketball activities” and “his return to game action will be updated as appropriate.”
Holmes is averaging career highs of 13.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.4 blocked shots and 1.1 steals per game. The Kings started Harry Giles III against the Heat, but coach Luke Walton talked about using Nemanja Bjelica and even Harrison Barnes at the center spot in small-ball lineups.
New additions
Jabari Parker and Alex Len were both in Sacramento on Friday after being acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, but neither was available for the game. Parker is recovering from a right shoulder impingement that caused him to miss 20 of his last 21 games for the Hawks. Len missed 10 of his last 12 games with the Hawks due to lower back pain and, more recently, a strained right hip flexor.
Walton said both players were being evaluated by the team’s medical staff before the game. Walton said when Parker and Len would be available is still unclear, but he said neither would play Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs.
Medium Heat
Spoelstra might have had more talent on the inactive list than he had on his active roster. Jimmy Butler (shoulder), Tyler Herro (ankle) and Meyers Leonard (ankle) all missed the game due to injuries. Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill were all unavailable after being acquired in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies before Thursday’s trade deadline.
Injury report
Heat: OUT — Jimmy Butler (shoulder); Tyler Herro (ankle); Kyle Alexander (knee); Meyers Leonard (ankle); Andre Iguodala (trade); Jae Crowder (trade); Solomon Hill (trade).
Kings: OUT — Richaun Holmes (shoulder); Marvin Bagley III (foot); Jabari Parker (shoulder); Alex Len (hip).
Kings upcoming schedule
Feb. 8 vs. San Antonio, 7 p.m.
Feb. 10 at Milwaukee, 5 p.m.
Feb. 12 at Dallas, 5:30 p.m.
Feb. 20 vs. Memphis, 7 p.m.
Feb. 22 at Los Angeles Clippers, 12:30 p.m.
This story was originally published February 7, 2020 at 9:34 PM.
