The Kings refused to give up, came back from down 17, forced double overtime and won 123-118. What an incredible game. Full recap to follow, but for now let’s see those gifs!
Postgame Thread: Kings 123, Heat 118, 2OT
Light the Beam!
By Greg Wissinger | 141 Comments | Jan 6, 2025
Jan 6, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) takes a three point shot against Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith (24) during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
The Kings Herald Newsletter
To prevent spam, our system flags comments that include too many hyperlinks. If you would like to share a comment with multiple links, make sure you email editorial@kingsherald.com for it to be approved.
LIGHT THE MOTHER EFFING BEAM!!!!!
I think I died so many times late in the 4th and in both OT sessions. But man, I am so glad these guys didn’t give up and got the hard fought win.
Where would this team be without Keon Ellis? Sign that dude for life.
Honest question: Had Fox been playing and had received the 48 minutes Keon played, while Keon got the ALL 18 minutes Huerter played (he wouldn’t have)…do the Kings still win this game?
Impossible to answer. Maybe we’d have won by 20
Indeed.
That’s for a later discussion. Enjoy the win!!!
Hard to know, but they really missed Fox when the Heat went to that zone.
I don’t know but the more I see Keon the worse Mike Brown looks
Not sure about that specific scenario but it would have been nice to turn to Fox with how chaotic Monk was out there last night.
Good thing he didn’t catch a dnp…
serious question, how many more wins this season do we have if he was getting 25-30 min a noght instead of huerter/doug/mclaughlin etc
At least a few more so like 4th or 5th in the West… but then we’d still have MB.
Impossible to know. Depends on if he was having a good night night or not, but I would like to think yes.
That was the best Kings game I’ve seen in some time.
The starting 5 of Monk, Keon, DDR, Keegan, and Sabonis is 2-0 against two pretty good teams….I’m not saying…but I’m saying.
What a difference from about 10 days ago.
The Kings of 2025 are already better than the Kings of all of 2024.
Still undefeated in 2025!
What that starting lineup shows you is how good Sabonis and Fox can be surrounded by competent 3 and D wings in Keegan and Keon. Monk wasn’t even that good last night but the two wings kept the team in it in the 4th.
Imagine if the front office had spent the summer going after a guy like Naji Marshall or traded for PJ Washington last season. Hope they can land 1 more wing this season.
I’d say Monk was ineffecient last night, but he wasn’t bad. 23, 6, and 5 approach Fox numbers, plus he did it with just one TO.
Monk didn’t shoot the best percentage but made some shots when it counted. He must have been exhausted. He is playing more minutes, being the primary ballhandler, and one of the main reasons we are seeing better pace.
I remembered a spot in the GSW game, someone was shooting FTs and they showed Monk and he was just dripping sweat. Made me think of some of Christie’s play hard and asked to be pulled out comments.
I saw that too. It was pouring down like a faucet was coming out of his head. I don’t know how he lived after losing that much water.
Then you look at Keegan and he’s barely sweating even after 35+ minutes. Does he have sweat glands? Is it actually true that he’s a robot?
Domas took up the slack on TOs with 6
Oh my god, I should’ve been working on my grad school apps, but watching this was worth it.
THE REDEEM BEAM TEAM DREAMS ON.
Grad school is temporary. The Beam is forever.
You are now a PhD in Roundball!
Glad you got to se this one.
Great win! Think we really missed Fox and his ability to get a good shot late in the clock, but we Doug Christied them!
I am a convert to Christie-anity.
Haha, a born again Christie-an!
D Christ
Deesus Christ
Lol!
Actually, we did not. DeRozan finally showed his clutch side to pull out the win!
Deebo pulling up on that last shot….
Note to self…..might have issues posting links to tenor gifs
Beach Dancing! Kings Win!
HEAT DANCE!
Rik,
All joking aside I hope like hell you didn’t go to bed in the fourth because this was a game for the ages and worth losing a nights rest. I hope your wife was able to sleep through your early morning cheering!
Sabonis was a horse. Called the team together right with 8 minutes left at the foul line and implores them to play hard and they took the game to the Heat, double teams, traps, single isolation D, Keegan with a huge block at the rim in OT. Domas with a long 3 in OT. Keon just willing the team to play D and getting a late foul to tie the game.
Incredible.
I had to sleep tonight. Big day at work.
just saw the start, some snatches and the whole second overtime on LP.
Wow, just wow.
BTW, how Herro still on the floor after two fouls in the first minute?
That’s a good question. I will say this, and another commenter said it last night while in the middle of the 2d OT, Keegan Murray played locked down defense on Herro the entirety of the 2 OT’s. He was not guarding him as the primary assignment until the 4th I believe.
It’s another example of Doug and his bench coaches willingness to adjust mid game wirh very positive results in 2025. There were many other small snippets of good back coaching last night too.
Doug walking out and encouraging Keon at the end of the 1st OT as he tied the game even though he missed one FT. Keon, as Henry noted, played like a Lion the whole game and particularly in the 2 OT. Others also noted his willing this game by sheer effort into a win.
Do well at work. Enjoy the entire replay. It’s simply a marvelous win for a resurgent team.
I had to go to the game thread to find out who was imploring 5 more minutes of shutting Herro down. There were a few, the one I was recalling was TerzoM who mentioned it twice during the OT’s. Good on him.
Miami challenged and won, removing the second personal foul. Tech on Herro remained.
Yes – the telecast incorrectly labelled this as 2 Fouls on Herro.
Ah, missed that.
It felt really glossed over in the broadcast. I didn’t understand what Spoelstra even challenged and why a forearm to Keon’s face was overturned by the refs.
After I saw the replay it seemed to me that Keon got the wrist of Herro on the pass and the resulting movement cause Herro’s arm to hit Keon. My guess is they called the foul on Keon the hit to the face was a result of that foul.
? incidental contact? I mean, I could understand why it wouldn’t be a foul if this was to Domas’ face (maybe non-incidental, but mandatory, contact) but Keon getting whacked in the face?
No idea. Looking it up on NBA.com and the game record, there are no details.
I feel like a total loser, I had to get up early for work and when they went down by 16 in the fourth quarter I turned it off and went to sleep. And now that I am on the East Coast I have not finished as many games. I’ve never been a night owl so it’s been difficult for me to get adjusted. But I need to nut up and be a good Kings fan like you and the others that are no longer on the West Coast.
You got them through the tough part of the game so you did your part. We have to pay the electric bill.
The best invention for sports nuts like all of us is you can relive all the moments expressed in the game thread on UTube with an understanding of how the game was unfolding for the time you were able to watch.
Wear out the rewind button during your breaks today.
What a win.
Great points.. and I have gone back and watched after my early morning con calls .. loved the fight and energy… I think I was one of the few that was OK with the Mike Brown firing because I felt like a coach not to lose and wasn’t willing to make endgame adjustments that I could see, and it feels like this staff is doing that now. But I see the team just playing a little bit looser and a little bit free which I think is helping.
I think there were quite a few people who were okay with the firing, including myself. It just felt like questionable timing, coming only months after signing him to an extension. Plus, it was done so poorly and seemingly without a plan.
Generally, though, the lineup was way too good on paper to be as far below .500 as they had fallen and the team just stopped competing. For me, going back to last year, there were so many losses the Kings had no business giving away. It just felt like between Brown’s stunningly poor rotation decisions and the team’s regular mental lapses had fully demoralized the fan base.
In the week before the firing, I simply stopped watching games, which is unusual for me. Going back to last year, I had come to expect that even if we faced a team missing two stars on a SEGABABA, the Kings would figure out how to lose by 25. I had really hoped that Brown could correct the course, but his rotations were so mystifying, even up to the very end. I’m still not a believer that the team has magically fixed its problems but damn, the Doug Christie era has been fun for 6 games.
I was also okay on the firing. I was disappointed with the Brown hire to begin with, but he of course won me over year one. But when he sat Davion for game seven against the W’s and Curry went off for like 50, he kinda lost me. His rotations got more and more baffling since.
UK fan here – I watch the morning after. With a lot of 3am starts, I get the whole game on LP and can skip through the time outs, game breaks and looooong challenge stoppages.
Lucky! The first two minutes of regulation felt like an hour.
I also normally watch on delay even though I live in Sac. Mainly because evenings are busy family time and I like focus-watching when everyone has gone to bed and can skip ads, etc. Which is why am rarely on game threads.
I can see the beam easily from the house so I often already know the results. Since the Christie era, been making more of an effort to watch live, it’s been fun.
Same on all. I usually watch them early the next morning on the treadmill. I don’t watch many games live anymore.
Are you a man or a hamster?
or since you are Kings-centric…
maybe a James Hamster
Not sure, I am on the hamster wheel of life it seems
Same on all these points for me, too, except seeing the beam.
Kings hopping tonight.
I was waiting for Mark Jones to say he got up higher than San Francisco rent.
Stat sheet said Keon had 3 steals and 1 block. But how many deflections or seriously altered shots/possessions did he cause? I think it’s at least 10+. Dude willed them through chunks of that game without scoring the ball a ton. So fun to watch.
Was thinking the same. Domas had an incredible statistical night but all the little things that Keon did really don’t step off the page if you’re just looking at the box score. Dude was incredible.
Yes, and Keegan as well. That late block was sweet!
He’s playing FREE now that he doesn’t have to worry about being pulled for one mistake.
I saw on twitter that he had 15 deflections!
Crazy.
Now downgraded to 14.
So that is kind of mediocre.
H8R!
(I kid, I kid)
See now I gotta jump in for my boy Rik…..
😉
Was Mike Brown the scorekeeper?
Incredible game and win . Ellis was a huge factor and Keegan stepped up big time after the half . I don’t think I have ever seen any player compete as hard on a consistent basis as Domas . Christie has been everything Brown was supposed to be !
He’s like 2022-2023 Mike Brown.
DDR: “You can’t be afraid of failing. I have been in that position many times in my career. It’s what Domas said, we are all tired but we have to impose our will on them. We are playing hard to win
I paraphrased as best I could. DDR talks slowly but I am still fired up. Go listen to his post game interview. Very calm. Very professional.
Keon is another great interview.
Mike is spot on, Keon’s interview is excellent. Doug is being interviewed now. Really displaying his playing knowledge and how he supports his players.
Super impressed with Doug’s interviews from the moment he took over.
Henry,
Another great image in this game is at the end of the first OT. Your choice of Keon as The Difference Maker in this game had just tied the score and Doug walks all the way out to past center court and gives Keon a hug and pats him on the back as if to tell him “You did your job. Score is tied. Now we go win this game.”
That is flat excellent coaching by Doug.
He seems to have an innate understanding of what the players need, both from a basketball standpoint and from a mental standpoint.
Excellent point. It’s been fun.
From Keon:
My rage for Keon’s treatment by Brown grows..
Really telling. This Malik quote was also enlightening, as was Christie’s response:
I hate to kick a guy like Brown when he’s down, particularly because I’m eternally grateful for his role in turning this team around.
But this FO has taken a lot of heat for the decision they made. It’s starting to look like they needed a coach who could unlock the roster’s potential and they might have found their guy in Christie, understanding the small sample size may be skewing our (my) perception.
…I hate to kick a guy like Brown when he’s down…
He’s ‘down’ around $20M for about 6 months work, poor guy
lol, I get that. But he still has pride and I’m sure it’s stinging right now.
Too bad Vezenkov isn’t still around so he could’ve escaped Brown’s leash as well, or at least had a longer leash. I’m still convinced that guy could have been a positive asset for 15-20 minutes a night if used correctly. Guess we’ll never know.
On a related note, I read part of an interview with him the other day and while he was diplomatic, he basically said his main issue was Brown and how he was being used, or not used as the case would be.
Pretty irrelevant question, but has the team still been doing the DPOG chain/crown/throne since Brown and Jordi left?
Yes, DeMar got it the other night when he had those two late steals.
Yes. I saw DDR with the crown on the roof when they went to the beam
Too early but can I hope for a 2-1 road trip?
Haven’t lost yet this year. Why start now?
There is a lot to like about tonight’s game.
For me, others probably have better examples, the single most important aspect of tonight’s win was a victory against Spoelstra’s zone defense.
The zone has been The Kings Moby Dick, beckoning the Kings to come back for more punishment as the beast submerges one last time.
This time the beast was defeated.
There is no such thing as too much fun!
Keegan going 4-6 from 3 is encouraging too!
An excellent point Rik.
All of his shots and makes came st absolutely critical tipping points in the game. Down by 10 with little
time left he hits 2 huge shotss to make it a one possession game.
Those were huge shots. Keon deserves all the love he is getting, some just remarkable defensive plays, but I thought Keegan had a fantastic game himself. Some of those offensive rebounds he just absolutely ripped out of a Heat’s players hands, and his defense all night was top notch. He always knows where to be on the court and is playing with so much physicality. I bet his shot comes around a lot sooner than later, and I think that alters the trajectory of the team a bit if he is shooting well from range.
0.5 game out of the play-in. 2.5 games back of the 6th seed. LFG kick some leprechaun ass on Friday!
These players have class. They have balls.
This thread is remarkable in how much insight and enthusiasm there is for the incredible effort the team gave tonight, but this is THE best comment I have read.
I don’t know who said it a few days ago, it might have been Doug, but something like: if you contantly work your ass off, Kings fans will give you props, even if you don’t win. True for me, at least
When they were down 17 in the 4th quarter I was thinking they were the Mike Brown Kings again. But suddenly they showed us the Doug Christie Kings and I am still amazed and stunned (in a good way) that they were able to pull out this win! There really must have been a huge issue with Mike Brown that we do not know about. If he were still the coach they would have given up once they were 17 down in the 4th.
How long does the word “interim” hang on Doug Christie’s name, I wonder?
Let’s not get too hasty. Shortly after Kings coaches get extensions they are often fired.
If this is the result, Interim4LYF
Amazing win!!
WOW, just F-ing WOW!
Im a loser cause I gave up when they went down by 16 in Q4 ( in all fairness I am now on EST) and had to be up early for work
No losers here. We all have jobs and responsibilities. Enjoy the afterglow of this win.
A 3/2 for Domas. DDR taking over in the 2nd OT. 1m o-boards (give or take) for Keegan. And yet, Keon Ellis was the best / most important player for the Kings tonight. A truly special performance.
Can we petition Deebos long 2’s and show the NBA this?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
LIGHT THAT BEAM BOOOOOY!!!
Similar imo
Shouldn’t Steve Kerr be on his knees thanking Vivek, Matina, Monte and DC for replacing MB just in time for the Kings to batter teams on the first games of back-to-backs and making it easier for his Dubs the following nights. That’s Sixers, Grizzlies and now the Heat.
Kings should get the half win for those
All I want this season is to finish ahead of the Warriors.
And a sweep of the Warriors. All I want this season is to finish ahead of the Warriors and to sweep all 4 games against them.
And an average margin of victory over them of 30 points. All I want this season is to finish ahead of the Warriors, to sweep all 4 head-to-head-matchups, and to beat them by an average of 30 points.
And if we face them in the play-in, I want to say night night to their season. All I want this season is to finish ahead of the Warriors, to sweep all 4 head-to-head-matchups, to beat them by an average of 30 points, and to say night night to Curry’s/Kerr’s season in the play-in (if we can’t squeeze into the playoffs outright).
Is that too much to ask?
Speak it into existence.
I can support that.
and of course the thing about the kids joining hands and singing together in the spirit of harmony and peace.
Haha, I had that in mind along with his bit in The Jerk and a little of The Spanish Inquisition.
I will never understand why Brown didn’t play Ellis more, it was obvious to even the casual fan.
I imagine him watching the games and regretting some of those decisions.
100% not sure what he was watching. Especially since he is supposed to be this master defensive coach makes it even more weird.
He watched as his team needed 3 point shooting and defense and refused to play the guy who provided both ! Just wow
The thing that got me the most was the constant chatter from MB about how we have to be better defensively and he kept running out Huerter for a long time and DNP Keon. Either he has no idea what he is looking at or it was personal
WTAF
Brown seemed to create Ellis than worked hard to destroy his own creation ! Amazingly clueless .
Having a bit of a moment here. What does “Monk” mean in Arabic again?
Monk means someone who lives a life of solitude and prayer, for example a person who might define themselves as a Christie-an.
I’m not sure what Malik means, though. Maybe someone can enlighten us.
I know a guy….
Google says King in Arabic is Mlik
Also,
Somebody get this info over to Mark Jones, stat!
I can’t remember….guess we’ll have to wait until Friday’s game to find out
OT: I just saw this on NBCSports Bay Area
Have there been any rumblings about the fate of McDermott, Crowder, and ORob?
Is Jordan McLaughlin in that group as well?
Looks like he’s fully guaranteed this season.
From Spotrac: