DeRozan says it ‘took long enough’ for LaVine’s incredible game in Kings’ win over Hornets
Zach LaVine struggled to find a rhythm in his first few games with the Kings, but he got into a groove in Monday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets.
LaVine scored a season-high 42 points in a 130-88 victory over the Hornets before a sellout crowd of 17,832 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
Kings guard DeMar DeRozan saw what LaVine can do during their years together in Chicago, but this was the first time LaVine treated the Sacramento crowd to a dazzling display of dunks and long-distance shooting.
“I was just waiting,” DeRozan said. “It took long enough. I kept telling him the whole game, ‘Just shoot it,’ and that’s the outcome. ... It’s nothing new for me. I think it was just cool to have the bench going and the crowd going as well.”
LaVine didn’t take a shot until he threw down an alley-oop dunk on a lob from DeRozan at the 5:26 mark in the first quarter. From that point on, LaVine could not be stopped until he left the game to a huge ovation with 6:39 remaining after leading a big fourth-quarter barrage.
“It felt good, especially being able to do it here for the first time with the home crowd,” LaVine said. “I’ve played here a bunch of times, obviously, and felt the energy. We needed a win like this. Not just me, but as a whole team, especially coming out of the (All-Star) break the way we did, so it was good to get a win like this.”
LaVine went 16 of 19 from the field and 8 of 9 from 3-point range. He scored 18 points in the fourth quarter despite playing just 5:21, at one point making four 3-pointers in less than two minutes to fuel a 22-2 run.
The Kings acquired LaVine in the three-team trade that sent De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs and Kevin Huerter to the Chicago Bulls. He shot career highs of 51.1% from the field and 44.6% from 3-point range in 42 games for the Bulls. He made 32 of 78 (.410) from the field and 7 of 34 (.206) from beyond the arc in his first five games for the Kings.
“I’ve known Zach and the way he plays and what he’s capable of,” interim Kings coach Doug Christie said. “I have had conversations, and to his credit, I thought he’s been trying to fit in, but we need him to be himself so we can figure out how to best support him. That doesn’t mean he’s going to come out and get 42 every night, but be aggressive and stay aggressive.”
DeRozan had 18 points and seven rebounds for the Kings (29-28), who bounced back following a 132-108 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Friday.
Malik Monk had 10 points and 10 assists. Keegan Murray added 10 points and five rebounds. Domantas Sabonis posted seven points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Miles Bridges scored 23 points to lead the Hornets (14-42). LaMelo Ball had 13 points, six rebounds and nine assists. Nick Smith Jr. also scored 13 points. Jusuf Nurkic and Moussa Diabate added 12 points apiece.
The Kings shot 54% from the field and 52.6% from 3-point range. They had 30 assists on 47 made baskets with 12 steals and a 49-38 rebounding advantage. The Kings outscored the Hornets 50-38 on points in the paint, 19-12 in second-chance points, 29-8 in fastbreak points and 40-13 in points off the bench.
The Kings scored 34 points in the first quarter, 31 in the second and 42 in the fourth. They were held to 23 points on 41.2% shooting with eight turnovers in the third quarter, but otherwise they seemed to benefit from two days of practice after retooling the roster at the trade deadline.
The Hornets cut a 20-point halftime deficit to nine in the third quarter, but the Kings led by as many as 45 after blowing the game open in the fourth.
“I think we had a better sense of urgency,” LaVine said. “Obviously, our structure got a little bit better with some practice time, which was needed, but our sense of urgency was a lot better. We had some turnovers in the third, but we were able to make up for it.”
This story was originally published February 25, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
