Important three-pointers by Vezenkov helped Sacramento win
Alexander Vezenkov had a strong performance off the bench for the Sacramento Kings in a 105-98 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the team's first game of the new NBA In-Season Tournament. The Bulgarian national got the fans in "Golden 1 Center" on their feet with two three-pointers in the last quarter of the match, which broke the resistance of the "Thunderbolts". Vezenkov stayed on the floor for a total of 8 minutes, in which, in addition to the 6 points, he contributed to the success of his team with one tackle and one steal.
Sacramento and Oklahoma are in the same bracket with Golden State and Minnesota in a one-on-one bracket format. The winner of the group moves forward to the elimination phase, and in addition, the team with the best performance, finishing in second place, will also receive a ticket to the second stage of the tournament. The quarter-finals will take place on December 4 and 5, the semi-finals are on December 7, and the champion will be decided on December 9.
Each player on the champion team will receive a bonus of half a million dollars. All tournament results, except for the final, will count towards the regular season as well. Sacramento had a shaky start to the season, but snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Portland Trail Blazers 121-118 in overtime. However, Vezenkov spent the entire match on the bench due to a coaching decision.
The coach of the "Kings" Mike Brown limited the Bulgarian's minutes already in the two matches against the Houston Rockets, which ended with heavy losses for the "Kings". Oklahoma has emerged as one of the most dangerous teams in the league this season. The Thunder made their playoff bid after winning five of their first eight games. Shay Gilges-Alexander is again the team's top scorer, and rookie Chet Holmgren also leaves an excellent impression.
Unlike the games against Houston, this time Sacramento started very focused and gradually built up a solid lead already within the first quarter. Domantas Sabonis and Kevin Hurter were the leaders for the Kings. The Lithuanian center scored 10 points, topped with 5 rebounds and 4 assists, and Hurter had a career-high 15 points in one quarter, including three 3-pointers.
Gilgeous-Alexander tried to keep Oklahoma close, but he made just three of his first nine shots and the Thunder trailed 20:34. Malik Monk successfully stepped into the shoes of the injured De'Aaron Fox and skillfully orchestrated Sacramento's offense. The guard wasn't afraid to attack the basket when he saw an opportunity to break. Even in the minutes in which Sabonis and Hurter rested, the "Kings" maintained their lead.
Oklahoma had tremendous trouble shooting from behind the arc, going 1/16 by the break. In the middle of the second half, however, Sacramento's offense stalled and the difference fell to 5 points at 47:42. Strong minutes for Mike Brown's team and more missed long shots for Oklahoma followed. Halftime came with an 11-point lead for the "Kings" - 53:42. Kevin Hurter stole two in a row early in the third, and Oklahoma was extremely chaotic and in no way took advantage of the fact that Sacramento's success rate dropped as well.
Hurter and Sabonis racked up fouls, but Keegan Murray stepped up, while only Gilges-Alexander was up to par for Oklahoma. Two minutes before the end of the part, Vezenkov appeared in the game. The Bulgarian immediately fouled Lou Dort, who was accurate from the penalty line for 67:69, but again Keegan Murray took matters into his own hands and helped the "Kings" enter the final 12 minutes with a 5-point lead. Murray continued his streak with another triple for 78:70, and Vezenkov took his first fight.
