Rookie Keegan Murray helps Kings beat Lakers to finish undefeated at California Classic
Rookie first-round draft pick Keegan Murray had another big game to help the Kings finish undefeated at the California Classic with an 87-75 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Murray finished with 24 points and seven rebounds for the Kings, who went unbeaten for the first time in the four-year history of the event. The California Classic doesn’t officially crown a champion, but this was the de facto championship game with the Kings and Lakers both entering the contest with 2-0 records.
“There was definitely motivation to go 3-0,” Murray said. “That’s kind of what we wanted to do going into this and we got it done.”
Jared Rhoden scored 13 points for the Kings, who will now head to Las Vegas to defend their 2021 NBA Summer League championship. Neemias Queta recorded a double-double, finishing with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Matt Coleman III and Keon Ellis added 10 points apiece. Frankie Ferrari had seven points, four rebounds and six assists.
The Kings posted their best finish in the four-year history of the California Classic, which was held in Sacramento in 2018, 2019 and 2021. Murray led all players in scoring (19.7 ppg) and finished second in rebounding (8.0 rpg).
“Three games, and, regardless of result, I think the way we competed was fun to watch,” Kings summer league coach Jordi Fernandez said. “… I’m very happy with what the guys have done so far.”
Javante McCoy scored 15 points to lead the Lakers. Vitto Brown and Paris Bass scored 13.
The Kings won their first two games by an average of 17.5 points, beating the Golden State Warriors 86-68 and the Miami Heat 81-64. The Lakers won their first two games by an average of 28.5 points, beating the Heat 100-66 and the Warriors 100-77.
The Lakers’ roster included Scotty Pippen Jr., the son of Hall of Famer Scotty Pippen, and Shareef O’Neal, the son of Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal. Pippen was held to five points on 2-of-10 shooting. O’Neal had three points in three minutes.
The Kings led the Lakers 24-22 at the end of the first quarter. Murray had six points and three rebounds in the opening period. Queta struggled to get going, posting zero points and zero rebounds in eight minutes.
The Lakers opened up a 43-38 lead with a little over a minute to play in the second quarter. The Kings tied the game going into the halftime break following back-to-back baskets from Coleman, including a 3-pointer behind a screen from Queta.
Sacramento finally created some separation midway through the third quarter. Murray made a 3-pointer to put the Kings up 58-48 with 4:22 remaining. He hit another one to extend the lead to 13 in the final minute.
The Kings carried a 65-54 advantage into the fourth quarter. The Lakers staged a big run to take a 70-69 lead on a basket by Bass, but the Kings reclaimed the lead on a jumper by Murray and pulled away in the final minutes of the game.
“No matter what, the effort is always there, good or bad,” Murray said. “If a team goes on a run, the effort is still going to be there for us. Every time we go in, I feel like we’re going to win the game.”
This story was originally published July 5, 2022 at 5:17 PM.
