Harrison Barnes saved 15 of his 19 points for a fourth-quarter surge Wednesday night that allowed the Sacramento Kings, with Doug Christie serving as acting head coach, to overtake the visiting Washington Wizards 119-105.
The Kings’ De’Aaron Fox lost a scoring duel 30-28 to the Wizards’ Bradley Beal, but Barnes and four Sacramento teammates complemented Fox with double-figure scoring to help the hosts snap a three-game losing streak.
Christie slid over on the bench from his assistant’s seat to replace interim head coach Alvin Gentry, who tested positive for COVID and could not attend the game.
Beal was one of five Wizards to score in double figures on a night when the visitors shot just 5-for-24 (20.8 percent) from 3-point range.
After trailing most of the way and falling behind by 12 points late in the third quarter, the Kings limited the Wizards to five points in the first 6:44 of the fourth to seize command for good.
Fox had six points in a 19-5, period-opening run, which Barnes capped with a 3-pointer, a three-point play and a jumper for a 103-94 lead with 5:33 to go.
Barnes added four free throws and another three-point play down the stretch, helping the Kings keep the Wizards at arm’s length the rest of the way.
Fox hit 10 of 16 field-goal attempts as the Kings outshot the Wizards 54.9 percent to 47.2 percent.
Joining Fox and Barnes in double figures for Sacramento were Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson with 15 points apiece and Davion Mitchell and Chimezie Metu with 13 each.
Tyrese Haliburton aided the Kings’ cause with game highs in rebounds (eight) and assists (nine) to complement eight points.
Beal connected on 13 of his 24 shots overall and accounted for two of the Wizards’ five 3-pointers. He also found time for five rebounds and a team-high five assists.
Deni Avdija added 15 points, Daniel Gafford and Montrezl Harrell 14 apiece and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 10 to go with a team-high seven rebounds for Washington. The Wizards lost their third straight, including their second in a row to open a six-game trip.
–Field Level Media
