Rockets Avoid Fourth Quarter Collapse in Road Win Over Kings

It was a comeback victory for Houston, who trailed the Kings 54-41 at the 3:08 mark of the second quarter. They were able to find their momentum during the third. After trailing by 13 points, the Rockets outscored Sacramento 54-41 to take an 86-73 lead into the final period. They outscored the Kings 32-14 during the third quarter.

Jabari Smith Jr. played a significant role in Houston's victory. Although he only scored 10 points on 3 of 10 shooting, Smith added 11 rebounds and three steals in the win.

Domantas Sabonis led the Kings with 25 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists. Malik Monk came off the bench and added 20 on 8 of 16 shooting in the loss.

DeAaron Fox, who missed the two-game series against the Rockets in Houston, scored 18 points on a subpar 7 of 21 shooting from the field, 2 of 9 from behind the arc.

The Kings embarked on a late push during the fourth quarter. After trailing by 16 points, Sacramento outscored Houston 13-2 mid-way through the quarter to cut its double-digit deficit to five (101-96) with three minutes left.

With the win, the Rockets closed their three-game regular season series with a 3-0 sweep over the Kings. The Rockets improved their record to 29-35. As the 11th seed in the Western Conference, Houston is five games back of the Golden State Warriors for the 10th and final Play-In Tournament Spot.