Marvin Bagley III recorded season highs with 26 points and 13 rebounds, and De’Aaron Fox poured in a game-high 27 points Friday night as the Sacramento Kings overcame a slow start to roll past the visiting Houston Rockets 126-114.
Buddy Hield and Terence Davis combined for seven 3-pointers and 33 points off the bench for the Kings, who have won two in a row after a five-game losing streak.
Christian Wood led a balanced attack with 26 points for the Rockets, who had opened a five-game trip with a win at San Antonio on Wednesday.
The clubs will meet in a rematch, also at Sacramento, on Sunday.
Wood had 15 of his 26 points in the game’s first 7 1/2 minutes, helping the Rockets run out to a 26-16 lead that turned into a 40-31 advantage at period’s end.
But Sacramento, playing the third game of a five-game homestand, overtook the visitors by halftime and never trailed in the second half.
Down 19 with 7:51 to go, the Rockets rallied within seven on two occasions, the final time when Wood completed a three-point play with 2:05 to go.
But Harrison Barnes immediately countered with a hoop, and he, Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield combined to hit six straight free throws, allowing the hosts to keep the Rockets at arm’s length.
Bagley’s 26 points came on 12-for-20 shooting and were 10 more than any previous game this season. The 13 rebounds bettered the 12 he’d amassed twice earlier.
Hield finished with 19 points, going 4-for-10 on 3-point attempts, and Davis totaled 14 points, connecting on three of his four tries from long range.
Fox, meanwhile, complemented his 27 points with eight assists, six rebounds and two steals.
Barnes chipped in with 16 points, while Haliburton contributed a game-high 12 assists plus nine points and six rebounds.
All five Houston starters scored in double figures, including Jae’Sean Tate, who flirted with a triple-double with 17 points, a team-high 10 rebounds and a team-high-tying eight assists.
Eric Gordon and Kevin Porter Jr. had 16 points apiece and Jalen Green 11 for Houston, while D.J. Augustin added 11 off the bench.
Porter also found time for eight assists, seven rebounds and two steals.
–Field Level Media
