Fox scores 31 as Kings hold off Beal, Wizards 133-126
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — De’Aaron Fox scored 31 points and the Sacramento Kings held on after blowing a 28-point lead to beat the Washington Wizards 133-126 on Tuesday night.
Bogdan Bogdanovic finished with 21 points, Buddy Hield scored 17 and Cory Joseph added 14 as the Kings had seven players in double figures on a wild night when they won despite being held to 19 points in the third quarter.
Bradley Beal had 35 points for Washington. Rui Hachimura added 20 points and Davis Bertans scored 18 on six 3-pointers.
The Kings have won six of seven since the All-Star break but had to sweat this one out.
Washington trailed by 27 at halftime and appeared headed for the wrong end of a lopsided blowout early before turning things around with a 46-point third quarter after scoring 49 in the first half.
Beal had 12 points as part of a 34-8 run during a seven-minute stretch that helped the Wizards tie the game heading into the fourth.
Sacramento was ahead by 10 with a minute left when Beal made a 3-pointer and the Kings’ Nemanja Bjelica was called for a flagrant 1 foul after hammering Hachimura under the basket. Hachimura made one of two free thorws, and Thomas Bryant’s 3-pointer made it 130-126.
Bogdanovic followed with three free throws to seal it for Sacramento.
The Wizards have lost five of seven. They went into the day four games out of eighth place in the East.
Fox got off to a fast start while Alex Len provided a big boost on the interior. Sacramento’s 7-footer had a pair of dunks and scored on a tip-in, helping the Kings to an 18-point lead in the first quarter.
Two days earlier Sacramento fell behind by 17 in the first quarter then rallied to beat Detroit.
Hield had four 3s in the first half, including one that ended in a four-point play, as the Kings pushed the lead to 76-49.
Kings coach Luke Walton had to be physically restrained after being ejected after being hit with back-to-back technical fouls during the Wizards’ big run in the third. Walton appeared to be upset over a non-call on the other end of the floor and angrily stormed onto the court after Bryant scored.
TIP-INS
Wizards: Beal extended his streak of 25 points or more to 19 consecutive games, tying Houston’s James Harden for the longest in the NBA this season. Beal’s streak going into the night was already the third-longest by an Eastern Conference player since 2000-01.
Kings: Assistant coach Igor Kokoskov took over after Walton was ejected. … Sacramento’s 76 points in the first half were a season high.
UP NEXT
Wizards: Head to Portland to play the Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Portland won in Washington on Jan. 3.
Kings: Play the 76ers at Golden 1 Center on Thursday. Sacramento has won its last three home games against Philadelphia but lost to the 76ers on the road in November.
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