In an electrifying finish, the Sacramento Kings stormed back from a 15-point deficit to defeat the Miami Heat, 111-110, on Monday night. Domantas Sabonis played the hero, grabbing an offensive rebound off De’Aaron Fox’s miss and sinking the decisive basket with just 0.7 seconds remaining on the clock. The victory marked only the sixth time in franchise history that the Kings have won in Miami, where they are now 6-31 all-time.
De’Aaron Fox led Sacramento with 28 points, while Sabonis delivered an all-around performance, finishing with 16 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists. DeMar DeRozan added 26 points, including a crucial four-point play in the final minutes that helped the Kings close out on an 8-2 run.
For Miami, Jimmy Butler scored 15 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, rallying the Heat back into a position to win. Tyler Herro also contributed 27 points, and Bam Adebayo, celebrated for his Olympic gold medal with a banner unfurling, scored 16. Rookie Pelle Larsson added 13 points, while Terry Rozier’s final heave from 30 feet missed the mark as time expired, sealing Miami’s defeat.
The Kings were initially in trouble, trailing by 15 early in the third quarter, but a dominant third-quarter surge — in which they outscored Miami 37-17 — set them up for the thrilling finish. This third-quarter rally has been a consistent challenge for the Heat; they’ve now been outscored by 20 or more points in third quarters twice this season at home. Despite this, the Heat seemed poised to win, holding a five-point lead with just over a minute left before DeRozan’s four-point play sparked the Kings’ late-game comeback.
Sacramento was without Kevin Huerter, who sat out due to illness, with Keon Ellis stepping into the starting lineup. Meanwhile, the Heat’s Kevin Love returned to the bench after missing the season’s first five games for personal reasons but did not play. Miami was also missing rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr., sidelined with gastroenteritis.
Sacramento will continue their Eastern Conference matchups, hosting the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. The Heat, now looking to recover after a tough loss, will embark on a six-game road trip starting in Phoenix.
This memorable win for the Kings highlighted their resilience, and Sabonis’s final second putback solidified a gutsy comeback on the road, showing that Sacramento could pull off tough victories even with key players missing.
