Huerter, Kings rediscovering swagger as win vs. Lakers extends streak

Huerter, Kings rediscovering swagger as win vs. Lakers extends streak originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The slump Kings guard Kevin Huerter struggled through to start the 2023-24 NBA season now seems like a distant memory.

Huerter caught fire again Wednesday night, scoring 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting in Sacramento’s 125-110 victory over the rival Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.

His 28-point burst arrived two days after he drained six 3-pointers in a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, and five days after a matching 28-point flurry against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Nov. 10.

“We feel good,” Huerter told NBC Sports California’s Kyle Draper, Morgan Ragan and Mike Bibby on “Kings Postgame Live” after the win. “As long as we keep winning, we’re feeling good. Guys are finding me; the ball is moving. We’re playing good offense right now.”

Huerter, who drained 205 3-pointers on 40.2 percent shooting last season, couldn’t hit from deep to start the year. Over the Kings’ five games, Huerter made just 5 of 25 attempts from 3-point range. Since then, he has swished 23 of 47 attempts from deep (48.9 percent).

Huerter’s current hot streak marks the third time he’s scored at least 20 points in three straight games. Wednesday also marked the seventh time he’s drained at least six 3-pointers in a game.

But he wasn’t the only Kings player to have a breakout performance.

Domantas Sabonis dominated the paint and tallied 29 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists. De’Aaron Fox chipped in 28 points, and all five of the Kings’ starters finished with a plus/minus rating of plus-13 or better.

Sacramento never trailed Wednesday night, handing the Lakers their first loss in front of their home crowd this season.

Although the Kings have seemed to find their stride over this current four-game win streak, coach Mike Brown isn’t satisfied. There is plenty of work to be done as the sting of their first-round playoff exit last spring still lingers in the back of their minds.

“They’re going to get tired of me because I’m going to jump on every little mistake that we make,” Brown told reporters in Los Angeles. “The details matter.

“For us to go from good to great, there’s not a lot of room. You have to look at the small things and magnify them, focus on them, lock in on them.”

The Kings will take their winning streak to San Antonio for a matchup against rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs on Friday night. It will be Sacramento’s second of four NBA In-Season Tournament clashes in Group C play.