The frantic pace that dictates the game remains in the third quarter. With a layup on a pick and roll, Hector performs well with Fox. The Kings this season are playing a lot more pick-and-roll than in previous years, and Fox's shooting progress only makes the threat more significant.
Then he will cause a foul from Jokic during a duel at the low post. Unusually, he will miss his first free throw in an eternity and make the second. The Nuggets are active, even if Jokic isn't on offense, but Denver still needs to score.
On an offensive rebound, Hector passed the ball to Barnes, who found Keegan Murray's 3-pointer. Hector still intercepts a pass from Porter and concludes the turnover with a dunk. And he will intercept another pass from Jokic, this time with his sprawling arms. Two steals in a row for Hector.
Nikola Jokic calmed the Kings down with a tough shot but succeeded. His "Sombor Shuffle," even for Hector, is hard to block. The Kings fell under ten points with a nice alley-oop assist for Barnes and a 3-pointer from Huerter.
But Jokic and Bones Hyland disagree and will make 10 points in a row. First, Jokic assisted Hyland, who made a 3-point step back. Then a layup by Jokic on a pass from Hyland and a layup from Hyland ended with an extra foul. He's going to make the bonus free throw. And Jokic will succeed in his duel at the bottom post against Hector with a hook.
Meanwhile, Fox will convert two free throws, but Malik Monk and Hector will put the Kings back on track. Mon cut to the basket and received a pass from Hector. Then Trey Lyles finds Hector alone on the corner 3-pointer. And Monk hit another 3-pointer on an assist from Davion Mitchell.
Malik Monk accelerated in the quarter's final minute with a complicated shot on a Fox pass. Then he will attract enough attention from defenders to free KZ Okpala's 3-pointer. And Monk will conclude this quarter with a floater.
The Kings were still leading 105-94 at the end of the third quarter. The Monk-Fox duo from Kentucky is unstoppable this self. Hector did not start the last quarter by leaving his place to Holmes, and they were the ones who led the Kings.
After two minutes of missed shots, Monk drew the first 3-pointer, but Christian Braun of Denver returned the favor. But Fox is there; he shoots in the mid-range and puts Sacramento back under the ten points.
Monk gave way to Huerter, and Mitchell replaced Holmes. Pat Ewing decided to have Lyles and Hector play to close the match. Mitchell will also shoot mid-range, but Porter calmed the Kings down with a 3-point shot.
There are 7 minutes left to play, and Mr. 4th Quarter Fox is finally activated. He will launch a 3-point missile and cause two free throws by the latter. Hector will steal a bad pass from Jokic and conclude with a mid-range pull-up jumper. Today, the Kings insisted on the mid-range, which will not change until the end because Fox again will put his own.
The Kings are two points behind, so outgoing MVP Jokic will also go on with two free throws and his Sombor Shuffle. Enough to make the Nuggets breathe, who take 6 points ahead. 116-110 for Denver.
Hector will cause a foul from Nnaji. He will make a 2/2 on the free throw line, but Jokic has decided to abuse his Sombor Shuffle and rarely misses. This shot causes headaches in the NBA, and Hector sets out to have an unplayable shot for opponents. But he is not discouraged because he will register a layup right after.
The Kings are incredibly accurate in the mid-range today, and that's where they will draw their last resources. Fox took advantage of a pick and roll with Hector to put his shot. Jokic will answer him from the shoulders. The end of the game is very close, and the Sacramento crowd pushes the players. It's the kind of game that everyone likes, no matter who wins.
Monk will use a marking error to break free and receive a pass from Hector for an easy layup. Bones Hyland and Fox will make tough layups, but it's good if points are scored. Monk will tie the teams with another mid-range shot, and Fox will finally put the Kings ahead from the mid-range—122-124 Sacramento.
The Sacramento crowd is among the loudest in the league, and it shows in those moments.
Jokic will cause a foul from Hector and put the team back on the free-throw line. 124-124. No one can afford to relax. Trey Lyles will miss a layup, but he will fight to recover the offensive rebound and then make the pass to Hector. Seeing that the Nuggets wouldn't let him take a layup, he floated high above the backboard. Since he is close to the basket, he can get blocked if he does anything.
And the floater, after an unbearable wait, will be successful. Sometimes boldness is a sign of confidence, and Hector has a maximum confidence level. Braun will tie the teams with a dunk.
There were 27 seconds left to play, and Fox, who had played a superb game, lost the ball on an offensive foul. The Nuggets will sink the clock, and the last ball is a duel between Hector and Jokic. The tension is palpable, but the Kings will have a chance to win the game. For that, they must prevent Jokic from scoring now. And Hector will force a complicated shot that Jokic will miss this time.
Ewing took the last timeout. And he asked a question: "Who takes the last shot?" He looked at Hector, but he wasn't the hottest tonight. Hector replied, "Malik," without the slightest hesitation.
There are five seconds left to play, and Malik cleverly attempts a layup. They are tied, so trying a layup is possibly causing a foul. And he's going to cause a Caldwell-Pope foul. All it takes is one free throw, and the Kings win the game because the Nuggets can't attempt anything anymore. He will miss the first and succeed in the second. The Kings avenged the previous day's loss.
Sacramento won 126-127 and now has a record of 18 wins and 15 losses.