Houston Rockets (36-21) beat Sacramento Kings (13-47) 128-97 at home on Wednesday, February 25. The final margin was 31 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Rockets had the better start, winning the first 33-22 to lead by 11 after one. The Rockets kept the pressure on with a 44-28 second quarter, carrying a 27-point lead into halftime.
The Rockets won the third 31-26 to create some separation, taking a 32-point lead into the fourth. The Kings took the fourth 21-20; the Rockets held on for a 128-97 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Rockets got more from their shots, finishing at 64.5% effective field-goal shooting compared with 43.5% for the Kings. The Rockets made 19.8 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 17.2 for the Kings. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Kings did win one battle, second chances: ORB% of 31.4% against 25%. The Rockets made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 97 possessions per team, the Rockets produced 131.9 points per 100 possessions to 99.9 for the Kings.
Who stood out
Alperen Sengun was the game's biggest individual force for HOU: 26 pts, 13 reb, 11 ast, 3 blk on 9-13 shooting. His Game Score of 35.4 led everyone. His team was +23 with him on the floor.
DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 15 pts, 1 reb, 7 ast on 4-7 shooting, good for a 15.7 Game Score.
Alperen Sengun (26 pts, 13 reb, 11 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Rockets about a 91% chance.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, Sacramento Kings lead 5-1.
The Rockets are now 36-21, and the Kings are 13-47. The Rockets last five before this game: W-L-W-L-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.