MINNEAPOLIS — De’Aaron Fox had 36 points and 12 assists, as the Sacramento Kings prevented the Minnesota Timberwolves from clinching a spot in the quarter-finals of the NBA In-Season Tournament with a 124-111 victory.
Stephen Curry scored 35 points as the Golden State Warriors held off the slumping San Antonio Spurs 118-112 in an NBA In-Season Tournament game.
The Kings improved to 3-0 in Group C in the Western Conference and can win it by beating Golden State in their final group game on Tuesday. The quarter-finals start Dec. 4. “It´s always good to compete for something else,” said Harrison Barnes, who had 10 of his 18 points in the first quarter.
Malik Monk scored 17 points and Domantas Sabonis added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Kings, who bounced back strong from two straight losses at New Orleans. They held Minnesota to 15 third-quarter points on 5-for-20 shooting.
“We know that we can score. That´s not going to surprise anybody in this league, but we know that if we want to be the best team that we can possibly be, we have to be better defensively,” Fox said according to AP.
Gary Payton II delivered a defensive gem with his high-leaping block against 7-foot-3 Victor Wembanyama as the Golden State guard returned from a foot injury.
The Warriors needed every big play — and only a handful of others have been able to get above Wembanyama so far.
“I’m probably the smallest,” Payton said, chuckling. “It’s just energy and effort.”
Cedi Osman’s 3 with 21 seconds left pulled the Spurs within 112-109 before Curry converted four free throws the rest of the way and Klay Thompson made a pair.
Meanwhile, Devin Booker scored a season-high 40 points; Eric Gordon added 20 as the Phoenix Suns defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 110-89 in an NBA In-Season Tournament game.
Jordan Goodwin and Grayson Allen finished with 14 points each for the Suns, who played without leading scorer Kevin Durant, a late scratch due to right foot soreness. It was the Suns’ sixth straight win, a streak that began when Booker returned from a calf injury.
“It’s tough,” Booker said of not having Durant. “You can’t replace what he brings to the court. His scoring ability. His versatility on defense. It’s going to take a lot of extra from everybody else.”
Santi Aldama led Memphis with 21 points, while Derrick Rose added 17, while missing only one of his nine shots. David Roddy contributed 14 points as the Grizzlies lost their third game in a row and remained winless at home this season.
The win gave Phoenix a 3-1 record in the tournament, but left the team a game behind the Lakers, who won West Group A with a 4-0 record. The Suns must now wait on how other teams in the West fare to see who qualifies for the tournament wild-card spot.
“He was great,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said of Goodwin. “He’s had some ups and downs this year. We’ve been challenging him to be better on both sides of the ball. He’s had some stretches where he’s struggled with his shot making. So to see all of it come together for him was a great match.”
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