In the ashes of disaster, the Kings were able to find a little positivity. This is how Doug Christie, quoting author Deepak Chopra, summed up the state of mind of his players to succeed in dominating Miami on Monday.
However, Sacramento had its back against the wall in the fourth quarter, on the verge of seeing its four winning streak, which had done so much good, end. But the Californian franchise found providential men, two in particular: DeMar DeRozan et Keon Ellis.
Doug Christie seems to have found the right levers to inspire his group. After last Thursday’s victory against Philadelphia, the Kings coach took his troops to the roof of the Golden 1 Center to closely observe the famous “Beam”, this purple ray that crosses the sky with each Sacramento success. DeMar DeRozan received the symbolic crown of best defender of the match.
« I’ve never seen a Bat-Signal or anything like that but this is probably the closest thing to it » smiled the winger this Monday at a press conference. “ Seeing this makes you realize that the whole city sees this, and understands when the beam lights up that we are playing for all of Sacramento. » So the former Raptors, Spurs and Bulls donned his superhero costume to win the match.
Nine points for DeMar DeRozan in the second overtime
Already author of 11 points in the fourth quarter while Sacramento was trailing by 17 units with just over eight minutes remaining, DeMar DeRozan hit even harder during the second overtime. 3-point shot, basket in isolation after having made his opponent jump thanks to several feints, another long shot after having shifted his supports finally awarded to two points, then the last stab at the head of the racket… ” DMDR” scored his team’s last nine points by displaying his offensive palette and his unwavering confidence in close matches.
« I love it » he rejoiced, top scorer of the match with his 30 points. “ I’ve been in these situations so many times in my career. You can’t be afraid of failing. You live for these kinds of moments, I try to savor them as much as possible. I always watch games and think they’re not over before the buzzer goes off. I see many things in my life like this. With that in mind, you always have the opportunity for something to happen as long as you stay in the game. You can’t let a bad game or a tough night of shooting dampen your confidence when your name is called to make the plays that matter. »
Unplayable, DeMar DeRozan visibly inspired his teammates. “ It wasn’t just for me, in the fourth quarter we all had that mindset » estimated the savior of the evening. Because if he took the spotlight with his exploits in the last minutes, Keon Ellis also had the right to his praise.
Keon Ellis, the shadow worker
Promoted to the starting five in the absence of De’Aaron Fox, the guard was true to himself, with high-level defense and a collection of decisive actions although less visible, such as his 15 assists deviated.
But also two important long shots in the comeback of his team during the fourth quarter for a flattering statistical line: 17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 interceptions. The Robin, right arm of Batman DeRozan’s unwavering shadow. “ Keon is a special player. He has a lot of things in his game that cannot be taught » summed up Doug Christie to the media.
« This young boy is wonderful » enthused DeMar DeRozan about his teammate, whose use by Mike Brown questioned. “ His defensive technique is fantastic. There are many things he does, and he doesn’t realize how amazing he’s going to become even though he’s already good. It’s cool to see, the confidence he has in taking his 3-point shots, creating plays, we encourage him on that. »
« We simply can’t win these kinds of matches without him.” a pour sa part avançe Domantas Sabonis. “When he’s focused like that, he makes everyone’s lives so much easier.” » And these Kings at the bottom of the hole become dangerous again with five consecutive successes before a new major test in Boston on Friday.
