Dejounte Murray's jumper with 29.6 seconds to play proved to be the difference as the San Antonio Spurs outlasted the visiting Sacramento Kings 105-104 in overtime on Friday in the Alamo City, winning back-to-back games for the first time since the opening week of the season.
The Spurs were down by nine points with 1:50 to play in regulation but made a final push, pulling to within 98-97 on a LaMarcus Aldridge putback layup with 47 seconds to play. After two free throws by Harrison Barnes with 14.3 seconds left, Marco Belinelli canned a 3-pointer to send the game to overtime.
Two free throws by DeMar DeRozan at the 3:07 mark of overtime was answered by Buddy Hield's jumper on the ensuing possession to knot the game at 102. Patty Mills put the Spurs in front with a free throw with 56.8 seconds remaining.
Hield's jumper then gave the Kings a short-lived lead before Murray hit the game-winner. Sacramento had four shots to win in the final 14 seconds and missed them all.
Aldridge scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Spurs (9-14). DeRozan, who had three 3-pointers in the game after having only four all season, added 15 points, Murray had 14, Mills and Jakob Poeltl scored 13 points each, and Belinelli hit for a season-high 11 points for San Antonio.
Hield led the Kings (8-13) with 23 points, with Barnes scoring 21 points and securing 10 rebounds, Yogi Ferrell adding 17 points and Richaun Holmes scoring 13 points and taking 14 rebounds for the Kings, who lost their third straight game. Sacramento played without starters De'Aaron Fox (ankle) and Marvin Bagley III (thumb).
Neither team led by more than four points in a tightly contested first quarter, but the Spurs created some distance in the second period, powering to a 52-42 advantage on the strength of 10 points from DeRozan and eight points apiece off the bench by Poeltl and Belinelli.
Ferrell paced the Kings with 10 points in 10 minutes off the bench. Sacramento's 42 points were the fewest allowed in a half by the Spurs this season.
--Field Level Media
