Fred VanVleet posted team highs of 22 points and nine assists while Jalen Green chipped in 19 points, including a key 3-pointer down the stretch, as the visiting Houston Rockets held on for a 112-104 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.
The Rockets claimed their third consecutive road win while sweeping the three-game season series from the Kings, who were led by Domantas Sabonis (25 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists, three steals, two blocks) and Malik Monk, who scored 15 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter. De'Aaron Fox added 18 points and nine rebounds for the Kings.
Sacramento closed within 105-100 on a Fox 18-footer before Green answered with a 3-pointer with 74 seconds left. Alperen Sengun (14 points) then fouled Sabonis with 39.1 seconds to play. Sabonis made a pair of free throws to make it 108-102, but that was the closest the Kings would get.
Sengun came down with an apparent right knee injury after committing the foul and had to be taken off the court in a wheelchair.
Houston extended its 86-73 lead entering the fourth to a 17-point advantage before the Kings came roaring back behind Sabonis and Monk. Both scored four points during a 10-0 run that pulled the Kings within 101-96 with 3:20 left, and the Rockets needed a short jumper from Jabari Smith Jr. (10 points, 11 boards) to end a scoreless drought that lasted just over four minutes.
After shaving what was once a 13-point deficit to single digits by halftime, the Rockets seized control with a 21-3 third-quarter run. While Sengun came alive in the paint, Houston used its defense to fashion the rally.
The Rockets forced eight turnovers in the third, scoring 11 points off those Sacramento miscues. The Kings also shot just 4-for-16 overall in the period.
Sabonis dominated early and was the fulcrum behind the Kings' 10-0 run that gave them a 14-7 lead. Sabonis just missed recording a double-double in the first quarter, posting eight points and nine rebounds.
Sacramento extended what was a seven-point advantage entering the second period to a 54-41 lead while Houston went cold. However, the Kings had to settle for a 59-54 edge at the break.
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