The game restarts, and this time, the 3-point skill of both teams gets back on track. With this return address, the spaces are freed up.
The Clippers quickly came back to 7 points behind before Huerter released a missile that calmed the heat of Los Angeles. Huerter and Murray will take care of widening the gap for Sacramento. Hector will be discreet during the third quarter, but it doesn't matter because the Kings roll.
He will settle for "only" six points and a few rebounds. At the beginning of the final quarter, the Kings were 13 points ahead, and Hector returned with more aggressive intentions.
He's going to get two free throws that he's going to convert. The room shouts the "MVP" chants, and it's deserved. Even if he is in the MVP race, there is little chance he will be elected, but that does not prevent him from enjoying this moment.
Anyone can receive them as long as they play a good game. It's okay if you hear the chants for players who aren't even in the MVP discussion. Even Timofey Mozgov received some for not naming the antics of the fans of a particular team.
Then he caused a foul on a pick and roll, concluded with Monk, and got the +1. The MVPs come back at every free throw.
The clock runs out, and Hector returns to the free throw line, appreciated by the "MVPs" that resonate throughout the room. The "Light the Beam" chants have already started too. He didn't miss either free throw.
It was also his last two points of the game. He will be replaced under the standing ovations when the score is 100-127. He walked off the field with a happy face and the warmth of his teammates and fans.
The Clippers have no chance of winning, and they also bring out the starters. At the end of the game, the scoreboard showed 119-142 for the home team. Hector went to greet Paul George directly after the buzzer.
George couldn't even maintain any hope, but no one can deny that with 33 points, he was valiant. Eric Gordon was also good with 20 points, but tonight, the Kings were too strong.
Harrison Barnes didn't score a single point, but it's useless when his teammates are like that. Murray, Fox, and Huerter were effective. The rookie scored 15 points and grabbed 6 rebounds with 3 assists. Huerter added 17 points, and D-Fox also contributed 21 points and 11 assists.
But Hector today was relentless. 42 points on 15-of-20 shooting and 12-13 free throws. An efficiency was worthy of the best matches on 2k. Not to mention the 11 rebounds and 2 blocks.
As his coach said so well in the post-game conference, he was asked if Hector was one of the best players in the league: "I think Hector showed it. He plays the game the right way every night. If he was more selfish, he could shoot 20 shots a night and 30 on average, like tonight. He only cares about playing the right way for the team. »
Same for Barnes: "Hector never focused on scoring. Coach Pat always asked him to do more than score. " and added, "Hector doesn't care, but we often look at social media. If Hector had taken as many shots as Stephen, he would be among the season's top scorers, there's no doubt in my mind, and I think the team members think the same."
Everyone knows who the Stephen mentioned by Barnes is. It can only refer to one person.
What does Hector think? The answer is simple: "I don't know what response you expected. If you want to know if I think I'm better than Jokic, the answer is no. He is ahead in his choices, humble and faithful. The Joker does things right."
He said about the season. "It's a great feeling. It's great because it's my first time. This is something we want to make annually. We want to be contending for a title. …it's great for the city and organization. We still want bigger things for ourselves."
The Kings have beaten the Clippers three times out of four which means that in the event of a tie, the tie-breaker will be on the Kings' side, which is good news. Sacramento is now on a five-game winning streak and heading straight for the playoffs.
When these words were relayed to Jokic, he laughed. But he also returned the courtesy: "Hector is one of the most troublesome opponents to play. I trained with him, and he came to see me in Serbia this summer to improve, and he's doing a great job. It will be recognized sooner or later. »