‘Light the beam!’: Sacramento Kings play ‘perfect game’ to blast Brooklyn Nets on TNT
Charge the lasers, light the beam, and spread the word, Sacramento.
That purple light in the sky can only mean one thing.
The Kings won again Tuesday, blasting the Brooklyn Nets 153-121 before a national television audience and a frenzied sellout crowd of 17,611 at Golden 1 Center.
Terence Davis came off the bench to score a season-high 31 points for the Kings (7-6), who have won four in a row and seven of nine. When it was over, Davis ended his courtside interview by giving the order to ignite the Kings victory beam, which is quickly becoming a symbol of hope in Sacramento.
“Light the beam!” Davis screamed. “Light the beam! Woooooo! Yes, sir! Let’s go, baby!”
Kevin Huerter went 7 of 10 from the field and 5 of 7 from beyond the arc to finish with 19 points for a squad he is calling the #BeamTeam. Domantas Sabonis had 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Seven players scored in double figures for the Kings, who shot 60.2% from the field and made 20 of 41 (.488) from 3-point range. They recorded 39 assists – matching their highest total since March 11, 2004 – and amassed a 42-29 rebounding advantage.
Kevin Durant scored 27 points for the Nets (6-9), who looked shellshocked while trailing by as many as 39 points.
The Kings’ point total was the second-highest in the Sacramento era, trailing only their 154-point performance against the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 2, 1993, and the fifth-most points in franchise history.
“One thing I know we can do: We can shoot that ball,” Kings coach Mike Brown said.
The Kings showcased their downtown arena on TNT for the first time since they played host to the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 29, 2018. That game was a 133-112 loss. This was a resounding victory and a moment of triumph for the Kings, their fans and a city that made a statement after suffering through 16 consecutive losing seasons.
What’s it like to be in Sacramento right now?
“It’s electric,” Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox said. “Whenever you’re winning in this city, I think it’s a very different feeling, so, for us, we want to continue to put on a show, continue to win, not only for ourselves, but for this fan base.”
Earlier in the day, Michael Shearer, founder of BasketballPoetry.com, listed the Kings among the “Top 5 most fun NBA teams to watch right now.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver was in the building along with the TNT broadcast team of Brian Anderson, Stan Van Gundy and Jared Greenberg. Before the game, Greenberg said he was looking forward to seeing the Kings, who lost their first four games before winning six of eight with two controversial losses to the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat.
“We’ve been watching them all year, and I think we’re trying to get a feel for, is this the team that started 0-4 or the team that, theoretically, could have won their last eight games,” Greenberg told The Sacramento Bee. “I think the win Sunday against Golden State showed something. I think tonight will show something as well, because, with the Nets obviously undermanned (with Kyrie Irving serving a team suspension), theoretically, this is a game you would think the Kings should win.”
The Kings didn’t just win. They annihilated the Nets, staging a 24-2 run in the second quarter to open up a 73-54 halftime lead.
At that point, everyone in the building knew something special was happening in Sacramento. A capacity crowd was on its feet, including thousands of Kings fans who sported band-aids on their cheeks like Malik Monk, who scored 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting.
Before long, it was time to start charging the laser beam atop the arena.
“I’m curious, can they see that beam at the International Space Station?” Greenberg quipped. “I think we should get a shot up there and find out. It’s been great to see the Malik Monk band-aid thing. We’ll see how many fans are wearing them again tonight. I think it’s a cool way to bring the community and team together. A lot of teams preach a cliché of family. At least from the outside looking in, and being here for the last couple of days, it feels like there’s some legitimacy to it this year in Sacramento.”
Back in the TNT studios, NBA great Charles Barkley suggested the network should give all of the Los Angeles Lakers’ remaining national television games to the Kings.
Davis was happy the Kings could rise to the occasion and represent their city on a national stage.
“It was all about Sacramento, man,” Davis said. “We just wanted to come out here and kind of show the world we need more TV games.”
Brown, who is in his first season with the Kings, remained rather stoic.
“Mike’s all business,” Huerter said. “I think it was maybe the last 30 seconds of the game, I think we saw him crack a smile, so he’s going to stay locked in. He wants us to play the right way.”
Fox called it a “perfect game” for the Kings, who will host the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday and Detroit Pistons on Sunday before embarking on a three-game road trip.
So, grab the band-aids, light the beam and look for that purple light in the sky. It can only mean one thing.
The Kings won again.
“I think guys are having fun,” Fox said. “Guys are playing hard. We’re flying around offensively and defensively, so it’s a fun brand of basketball.”
The Kings have been fun before. They won 39 games while finishing third in the NBA in pace in 2018-19, their final season under former coach Dave Joerger, but that team didn’t have this level of maturity and focus.
“I think a big part of that is Mike, with his approach, the way we do things, so I think it started with coach and just trickled down to the last guy,” Fox said. “We have guys who have been around. We have a lot of guys who have a good amount of years in the league, so they know what it takes to play in this league and how hard it is to win games. This is serious. Everybody wants to win, and while you’re doing that, you also want to have fun.”
This story was originally published November 16, 2022 at 6:15 AM.
