Kings keep postseason hopes alive with win over Cavaliers

Zach LaVine made seven 3-pointers, including three in the fourth quarter, to finish with a game-high 37 points as the visiting Sacramento Kings pushed past the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-113 on Sunday night.

The win sends the Kings (38-40) to the ninth seed in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of the Mavericks, and also denied the Cavaliers (62-16) the opportunity to clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Sacramento won both games over the Cavs this season.

With the score 116-111, LaVine drove to the basket and scored with his left hand on a lay-in with 46.1 seconds left, but replay seemed to indicate that the ball was still in his hand when the shot clock went off. The play was never reviewed.

DeMar DeRozan had 28 points and seven assists for the Kings, while Domantas Sabonis added 27 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

Ty Jerome paced Cleveland with 20 points off the bench, Donovan Mitchell had 19 points, seven boards and six assists, while Jarrett Allen finished with 17 points. Evan Mobley contributed 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.

In the third quarter, Mitchell appeared to injure his left ankle coming up the court when he crossed paths with Keon Ellis. Mitchell went back to the locker room and did return after missing over six minutes of game action. Sacramento would close the third quarter on a 24-6 run to lead 91-79.

Neither team was able to get any breathing room in the first half, with the Cavs owning the largest lead at seven and the game tied eight times.

Sabonis, who had 19 points in the first half, made a long three with 49.1 seconds left in the first quarter to push the Kings to a 31-27 lead at the end of one.

Cleveland was down four in the second when they got a huge boost from reserve Isaac Okoro off the bench. Okoro scored on a drive to the basket, a 3-pointer and then put back a miss to cap a 10-0 run for Cleveland to hand them a 45-39 edge, the biggest for Cleveland up to that point.

Okoro, who missed a big chunk of the season with a shoulder injury, beat his chest after his last basket.

Sacramento didn’t yield and closed the first half with a wild flourish in the final 50 seconds. DeRozan sank a jumper from the baseline, LaVine sliced to the basket for two and Ellis banked in a three from just inside halfcourt with at the buzzer left to trim the Cleveland lead to 57-56 at the break.

–Field Level Media