Russell has 31, Nets run past Kings for 123-94 win
NEW YORK (AP) — D'Angelo Russell had 31 points and eight assists, and the surging Brooklyn Nets won their fourth straight game by running away from the Sacramento Kings in the second half Monday for a 123-94 victory.
Russell, announced as the Eastern Conference player of the week shortly before the game, made seven 3-pointers. He hit all four 3-point attempts and was 5 for 6 overall in the third quarter, fueling a 22-4 spurt that launched the Nets into the lead for good.
Joe Harris added 19 points and rookie Rodions Kurucs had 16 for the Nets, who won for the 17th time in 22 games.
Reserve guard Bogdan Bogdanovic had 22 points and 11 assists for the Kings, but starters Buddy Hield and De'Aaron Fox both had quiet games.
Hield, whose 3-pointer in the final second of the game beat Detroit on Saturday, shot 4 for 10 for 11 points. Fox finished 4 for 14 and had nine points and six assists.
The Nets and Kings are two of the most improved teams in the NBA this season, both chasing playoff spots. The Nets (25-23) won only 28 games last season — they didn't win their 25th until March 31 — and entered play sixth in the Eastern Conference.
The Kings (24-23) were 27-55 last season and now sit just outside the playoff picture as they seek their first berth since 2006, the longest current drought in the league.
They played a back-and-forth game for a half before it was just about all Nets from there.
Brooklyn led 29-23 after one, but the Kings opened the second with a 15-4 burst to sprint into the lead and took a 60-55 advantage into the locker room.
The Nets came right back with a 38-point third, highlighted by the big run that Russell capped with a 3-pointer to make it 77-66 midway through the period. He made three 3s in the spurt, then another late in the period when the Kings had recovered and cut it back down to five.
With the Kings down eight after three, Yogi Ferrell came up with a steal to open the fourth, but Russell forced him to miss the layup and follow shot. The Nets then scored five straight to push it back into double digits and it was never close again.
TIP-INS
Kings: Sacramento is 1-2 on its six-game trip. ... Justin Jackson scored 14 points. ... Iman Shumpert was 1 for 10 from the floor.
Nets: Brooklyn has won six straight against West teams after a 2-11 start against the other conference. ... Russell averaged 28 points and 7.0 assists last week, shooting 53 percent both overall and from 3-point range. He tied his career high with 40 points in leading the Nets' comeback from 21 down to a victory over Orlando on Friday.
UP NEXT
Kings: Visit Toronto on Tuesday.
Nets: Host Orlando on Wednesday.
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