You might have missed it since it wasn't nationally televised and didn't end until close to 2 a.m ET, but the Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings engaged in one of the most entertaining -- and high-scoring -- games of the regular season on Friday night. The contest was a battle between the current third and fourth seeds in the Western Conference, with Sacramento leading L.A. by two games entering the evening, and the teams certainly played like there was postseason positioning on the line.
The Clippers held a lead throughout much of regulation, and for a while it looked like they had it in the bag. However the upstart Kings remained within striking distance until they made their move. They were able to mount a late comeback, thanks largely to the continued clutch play of De'Aaron Fox, in order to force overtime. Five extra minutes weren't enough, though, as two overtime periods were needed for the Kings to ultimately pull out an impressive 176-175 victory ... No, that's not a typo. Yes, you read that correctly. That was the final score of what ended up being the second-highest scoring game in NBA history.
Here are four takeaways from the game that has the basketball world buzzing:
Westbrook makes Clippers debut
Russell Westbrook made his debut with his new team on Friday night, and instead of easing the veteran guard into action in order to let him acclimate to his new reality, the Clippers employed the opposite approach and threw him directly into the fire. Westbrook started the game for L.A., and he proceeded to play 39 minutes. During that time, both his positives and negatives as a player were on display. '
First, the good: Westbrook pushed the pace for the Clippers, and his ability to attack in transition and collapse a defense opened up ample opportunities for L.A.'s shooters. Westbrook finished with a game-high 14 assists to go along with 17 points and five rebounds. He was also pretty efficient from the field, as he connected on seven of his 13 attempts. But, he also turned the ball over seven times and found himself lost on defense on a couple of occasions. If he can clean those areas up, then there's some reason for optimism for Clippers fans. Westbrook is far from a perfect player, but the Clippers could prove to be a solid fit for the former MVP.
Kings reserve guard Malik Monk turned in the game of his career on Friday night. In 40 minutes of action off of the bench, Monk dropped a career high 45 points while shooting 62 percent from the field and 50 percent from long range. Monk's point production was especially impressive because a bulk of it came in the fourth quarter and overtime periods. Monk dropped 16 in the fourth, six in the first overtime and eight in the second OT. Without his production, Sacramento doesn't walk away with a win.
In addition to some solid shooting, Monk's performance was highlighted by a couple of impressive finishes at the rim, including this two-handed jam that he threw down in transition in overtime:
This is the second time in Monk's career that he's had a 40-point game, as he scored 41 against the Nuggets as a member of the Lakers last April. The 45 points that he scored against the Clippers on Friday night are the most scored by a player off of the bench this season.
Leonard posts high with Clippers
Kawhi Leonard didn't set a career high on Friday night, but he did score more points than he ever has before in a Clippers uniform. He finished the contest with 44 points, one shy of his personal best. He scored 45 points against the Jazz as a member of the Raptors in 2019.
In 46 minutes against Sacramento, Leonard missed just six shots from the floor and added four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Leonard has been rounding into form in recent weeks, and this was easily his best game of the current campaign. It didn't result in a win, but the Clips should feel pretty good about their prospects moving forward knowing that Leonard is still capable of turning in performances like this one. If they can get to the postseason at full strength, they're going to be a dangerous team no one is going to want to see in a series.
Side note: Per StatMuse, his is the first time ever that Leonard has lost a game that he scored 40-plus points.
Fox continues to build clutch campaign
De'Aaron Fox, the leading candidate to win the NBA's inaugural Clutch Player of the Year Award, currently occupies the top spot on NBA.com's Clutch Ladder, and he bolstered his case with his play down the stretch Friday night.
Along with Monk, Fox made play-after-play down the stretch of this game to keep the Kings in it, and ultimately help them pull out a win. When Domantas Sabonis fouled out of the game, the Kings turned to Fox, and he delivered, just as he has all season. He finished the game with 42 points, 12 assists, five rebounds and five steals, and he also connected on the shot that proved to be the game winner:
Together, he and Monk made some Kings history by becoming the first pair of teammates to both score at least 40 points in the same game.
