The Sacramento Kings ended their negative streak in the NBA against the Houston Rockets – thanks in part to Dennis Schröder, who hit the decisive shot to win.
Germany’s basketball players were named Team of the Year on Sunday evening in Baden-Baden, around 9,000 kilometers west, national team captain Dennis Schröder made his big appearance: Schröder sank a three-point shot 3.1 seconds before the end of overtime, which secured his team’s 125:124 victory. It was the first win after five defeats for the Kings, who are experiencing a difficult season.
Schröder took on a lot of responsibility in the decisive phase; he scored 9 of his 24 points in overtime alone. The playmaker also had 10 basket assists.
Schröder strong – the Kings are catching up
The Kings fought back against the playoff contender from Houston led by superstar Kevin Durant (24 points) with a comeback in the second half. In the last 44 seconds of regular time, Sacramento made up for a five-point deficit: Schröder made it 112:112 with a rebound and an assist.
Raynaud newer Bearers of hope near Sacramento
Schröder had another encounter with Alperen Sengun, one of the strong Turkish opponents from the European Championship final. The Rockets center was the game’s top scorer with 28 points. DeMar DeRozan (27 points) was the Kings’ best scorer.
In addition, rookie Maxime Raynaud was once again impressive, posting his next double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds. The French center, who was rather unspectacularly signed as number 42 in the draft, has played his role in the foreground in recent weeks as a replacement for the injured Domantas Sabonis. Schröder also recently praised the center’s great game intelligence.
With the win, the Kings are no longer bottom of the Western Conference. The team started the season with significantly higher ambitions; some already saw them as a possible surprise team and playoff candidate.
Kings with high ambitions – rumors about possible trades
With 7 wins and 22 defeats, the Kings are still one of the worst teams in the NBA, which is why they have been considered for weeks as one of the teams that could initiate a major upheaval at the upcoming trade deadline and part with one or more stars.
Dennis Schröder, who only signed a long-term contract in Sacramento in the summer after a turbulent preseason with several changes, will keep a close eye on developments in the coming weeks.