SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Domantas Sabonis had 22 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists, and the Sacramento Kings beat the Los Angeles Clippers 109-95 on Tuesday night.
The Kings moved within one game of sixth-place New Orleans in the Western Conference as they seek to avoid the play-in tournament. Sacramento (44-31) is tied with Phoenix with seven games left, including a four-game trip that begins Thursday at New York. The Clippers are fourth in the West.
De’Aaron Fox added 20 points and seven assists for the Kings, and Keegan Murray had 19 points.
Los Angeles was without star Kawhi Leonard, who has a sore right knee. Coach Tyronn Lue said he hopes Leonard, who flew back to Los Angeles for treatment after playing on Sunday at Charlotte and has stayed relatively healthy this season, will be available Thursday against West-leading Denver.
Russell Westbrook led the Clippers with 20 points. Paul George had 18 and Norman Powell, starting for Leonard, scored 17.
Sacramento led by just five at halftime but outscored the Clippers 35-19 in the third quarter, with Sabonis scoring nine in the period.
Murray punctuated the run with an emphatic dunk off a Clippers turnover on a fast break. Neither Ivica Zubac nor Westbrook joined their teammates down the court on offense after the Kings committed a turnover, and when the Clippers gave it right back, Murray hesitated before slamming it on Zubac with his right hand to put the Kings up 76-62.
Sacramento scored the last seven of the quarter, with a dunk by Alex Len giving the Kings a 91-70 lead heading into the fourth.
Sacramento led by 16 after a 20-4 run in the second quarter. Davion Mitchell had 14 points in the first half, including four 3-pointers. But the Clippers cut the deficit to 56-51 at halftime.
UP NEXT
Clippers: Host Denver on Thursday night.
Kings: At the Knicks on Thursday night to open their last road swing of the season, which also includes stops in Boston, Brooklyn and Oklahoma City.
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