Fox, Lyles help Kings outlast Timberwolves 118-111 in OT
MINNEAPOLIS — De'Aaron Fox scored 32 points and Trey Lyles had eight of his 11 points in overtime for the Sacramento Kings, who outlasted the Minnesota Timberwolves 118-111 on Monday night.
Domantas Sabonis had 17 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out for the Kings, and Keegan Murray added 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Lyles took over for Sabonis at center and started the extra period with a 3-pointer. He dunked on Rudy Gobert for a three-point play and got wide open for another slam with 37.8 seconds left in overtime for a five-point lead to put the game away and give the Kings a split of this two-game set after a 117-110 loss on Saturday night.
Anthony Edwards had 33 points and eight rebounds for the Timberwolves, hitting the 30-point mark for the fifth time in the last six games. Gobert added 19 points and 14 rebounds.
Sabonis and Gobert locked in a classic big man battle, with neither player conceding an inch or a rebound. Gobert kept his cool far better than Sabonis, who was whistled for a technical after a missed contested layup that had him screaming at the officials about the no-call with 3:57 left.
Neither team led by more than five points for the entire fourth quarter, when Edwards went to work once again for the Wolves with three straight baskets for a 98-95 lead with 2:12 to go.
Fox is one of those clutch players too. He gave the Kings the lead twice with shots in the final 1:48 and had the chance to win it at the regulation buzzer, but his fadeaway fell short.
Sabonis fouled out with 51 seconds left in the fourth quarter with the Kings leading 103-99. Gobert made one of two free throws. Jaden McDaniels hit the game-tying 3-pointer with 13.5 seconds left.
This was one of those games when energy was going to be the most important ingredient with the rims on both ends in an unforgiving mood.
Gobert's dunk was the first basket to fall after the teams combined for eight misses to start. The Wolves were 5 for 20 from the floor until a 3-pointer by D'Angelo Russell, who missed his first three free throws. Russell had missed a total of twice from the line in his previous 13 games.
WILD WEST
The Kings are third in the Western Conference, on track to end an NBA-record 16-year absence from the playoffs, but they entered the evening with only one more win than 10th-place Utah.
The Timberwolves are nestled in between, one of several teams seeing their place in the standings fluctuate significantly from night to night, and the coaching staff has not missed opportunities to point that out to the players.
"Just trying to bring some context and relevancy to some things," coach Chris Finch said. "I think it's important to recognize where you are."
GHOST TOWNS
Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns has missed 32 games with a strained right calf. He was not sitting by the bench on Monday and posted an Instagram photo over the weekend showing his right foot in a walking boot.
"No setbacks at all," Finch said. "Just part of the process."
TIMES CHANGE
Three years and three days ago, the Kings stunned the Timberwolves by overcoming a 27-point deficit — they were still down 17 with 2:49 left in regulation — to win in overtime.
Only three players remain on each team's roster from that night. The only ones who saw the floor in both the Jan. 27, 2020 game and this one were Fox and Harrison Barnes for Sacramento and Naz Reid for Minnesota.
TIP-INS
Kings: SG Kevin Huerter went 5 for 19 from the floor and 2 for 12 from 3-point range in the two-game series. ... SG Deonte Burton was signed to a 10-day contract prior to the game, plucked from the G-League affiliate in Stockton.
Timberwolves: Backup SF Taurean Prince returned from a four-game absence with a sprained left ankle. He missed 20 games earlier this season with a shoulder injury. ... The Wolves shot 13 for 25 from the free-throw line.
UP NEXT
Kings: Visit San Antonio on Wednesday, the third game of a seven-game trip.
Timberwolves: Host Golden State on Wednesday, the third game of a six-game homestand.
