Brooklyn Nets (18-57) beat Sacramento Kings (19-57) 116-99 at home on Sunday, March 29, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Nets struck first, taking the opening quarter 31-18 and a 13-point lead after one. The Nets kept the pressure on with a 37-27 second quarter, carrying a 23-point lead into halftime.
The Kings won the third 28-18 to stay in front, taking a 13-point lead into the fourth. The Nets took the fourth 30-26; the Nets finished the job for a 116-99 regulation win.
What decided it
The Nets got more from their shots, finishing at 59.4% effective field-goal shooting compared with 48.8% for the Kings. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
At roughly 97 possessions per team, the Nets produced 119.1 points per 100 possessions to 101.6 for the Kings.
The Nets' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 47-31.
Who made the difference
Devin Carter was the game's biggest individual force for SAC: 20 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast on 6-12 shooting. His Game Score of 19.3 led everyone. His team was -11 with him on the floor.
Drake Powell led the Nets with 16 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast on 6-8 shooting, good for a 15.4 Game Score.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 59% for the Nets.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, Sacramento Kings lead 2-1.
The Nets are now 18-57, and the Kings are 19-57. The Nets last five before this game: L-L-L-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.