Hector does not want to lose a series in front of his fans. Nobody wants it and is preparing to be on a mission.
He makes a fake shot with a pick and roll with his favorite fox, and Jokic does a foul shoot. The shot is validated, and he gets a free throw that he will pass. These are the game's first points, but it will say a lot.
Then a fake shoot that allows him to conclude the layup. Then the next shot is not a fake, but he believed it. He scored the Kings' first 7 points. The Nuggets aren't going to let him do what he wants, but can they stop him?
A situation where he gets the ball back to the post and bully Aaron Gordon. With his size advantage, he approaches the rim, but by shooting, he provokes a foul and succeeds in both free throws. But the Nuggets led 17-13 after a 3-pointer by Porter.
He came out and came in at 3:35 of the quarter. The Nugget is ten points ahead. Vezenkov took advantage of a screen initiated by Hector to cut in the restricted area and finished in a layup. Justin Holiday does the same thing afterward.
Hector then connects with Fox with a handoff dribble, using the screen to draw from a distance. The clock went down, and an incredibly efficient Nuggets led the Kings in the quarter, but Hector added two 3-pointers to limit the damage in the final minute.
Heading into the second quarter, the Kings led 38-29. Hector is still on the court. He will provide an assist to Malik Monk's 3-pointer. And after a defensive 3 seconds foul, he will shoot and score the technical free throw.
The gap narrowed over time and returned to 2 points only after a tip shot following Hector's offensive rebound, but that was before Jackson and Nnaji found a 3-point rift. Vezenkov responds with his 3-pointer. Hector will rest afterward.
After a 3-pointer by Jokic that followed a 3-pointer by Fox, Denver led 57-50. The situation is not getting better because the Nuggets will accelerate. A shot by Jokic, a 3-pointer by Porter, and a layup by Murray allowed Denver to take off.
Despite Fox's two free throws, Murray hit a 3-pointer. And even with Hector's two consecutive offensive rebounds, the Kings would only score one 3-pointer before the end of the quarter. Not enough to catch Denver as Murray and Gordon added 4 points.
The Kings are in an unfavorable situation but succeeds in everything he does. Denver leads 73-58. The situation is critical in the locker room. Hector cannot sit still.
"Guys, it's not a Game 7, but we must play for our lives. You can't do worse anyway. We go back to the field, get into duels, and do something else. If you don't know what to do with the ball, give me the ball. We're not going to lose today. I came to the NBA. We were the laughingstock of the league. Nobody wanted to play here. Last year we pushed the champion Warriors to Game 7. We're going to do the same with the Nuggets. We need to send a message to the NBA. No one blows us out in Sacramento. »
Fox takes over. And he's more upset: "Now, guys, it's done. We get destroyed. But we'll get back in the game and turn the game around. You have to go into the field with a different mindset, guys. It is not possible to go on like this. Not with us. »
Ewing is calm to him. "Guys, I'll tell you without getting upset. Do you know the difference? It's that they, they play to eliminate us. They play to send us on vacation. And we're only playing one playoff game. Meanwhile, the tone of his voice has risen. Wildly he banged his fist on the tactical board.
"Hector, you'll have to take responsibility for your words."