Kings move up ESPN Power Rankings after Heat win

The Sacramento Kings knock on Miami Heat 111-110, thanks to a game-winner by Domantas Sabonis, who extended his record to 4-3. Sacramento ended its four-game Eastern Conference road trip with three wins and has won four of its last five overall.

ESPN released its latest NBA power rankingsplacing the Kings as the 15th best team in the league. The NBA panel of experts ranked Sacramento 19th last week as a slight increase in the rankings reflects the Kings’ success on the court.

“Clutch time was an Achilles heel for the Kings last season, but they were optimistic that the addition of DeMar DeRozan would alleviate those issues. However, on Monday, the clutch-time hero for the Kings was not DeRozan or Fox, but Domantas Sabonis, who had a spectacular comeback win against the Heat, putting the team over .500.” — Kendra Andrews, ESPN

The Kings were led by the new star trio of De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan, who averaged 70.2 points, 23.0 rebounds, 22.7 assists and 4.7 steals per game between them. three.

Many pundits and even fans questioned Sacramento’s offseason acquisition of DeRozan, but the All-Star wing is already making a significant impact all over the court.

Before this season, it was hard to take the Kings seriously as a contender, but DeRozan adds a new faucet to their system that takes them to the next level.

Although their record suggests they are an average team, they have lost three matches by a total of seven points. The Kings have already shown they can hang with any team in the league and should climb into the top ten in ESPN’s power rankings soon enough.

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