Clippers

Malik Monk scored a career-high 45 points and Sacramento outlasted the Los Angeles Clippers 176-175 in double overtime on Friday night.

We were on the second night of a back-to-back but it is what it is. The Clippers had a 175-169 advantage with 1:57 remaining before the Kings scored the final seven points, including Fox’s jumper with 36.5 seconds remaining. It is the second time it has happened in an NBA game this season after Cleveland’s Caris LeVert and Donovan Mitchell did it against Boston. The last to do it was James Harden in 2019. A team has scored 170 points in a regular-season game only seven times. It is only the second time in the NBA’s 76-year history that both teams have scored at least 170 points.

Russell Westbrook was the center of attention at the start of his Los Angeles Clippers debut, but all eyes were on the scoreboard by the end.

Only once has an NBA game seen more offensive fireworks: The Detroit Pistons beat the Denver Nuggets 186-184 on Dec. 13, 1983, in three overtimes.

To squeak out the win, Monk hit a game-tying three-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining in regulation and a pair of game-tying free throws with 20.4 seconds remaining in the first overtime. The Kings are on track to snap a 16-year postseason run, the league’s longest current drought. Fox finished off the win with a go-ahead jumper with 36 seconds to play. With the win, Sacramento improved to 34-25, good for the Western Conference’s No. But even by the standard of the ongoing scoring boom, this contest was in a category all to itself. Clippers forward Nicolas Batum missed a potential game-winning three-pointer just before the buzzer sounded. The teams combined to attempt 86 three-pointers and 71 free throws. The Kings set a franchise scoring record, surpassing the 165 points scored by the then-Cincinnati Royals against the San Diego Rockets in 1970. Unsurprisingly, almost everyone who took the court got his share of buckets Friday as 14 players — seven from each side — finished in double figures. The Kings and Clippers combined to smash the previous record for the second-highest score, 337 points in the San Antonio Spurs’ 171-166 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on March 6, 1982, in three overtimes. 13, 1983, for a combined score of 370 points in three overtimes. The teams finished regulation tied at 153 and were deadlocked at 164 after the first overtime period.

Russell Westbrook tried to make the most of his debut Friday, but he and the Clippers had too many turnovers to beat Sacramento in high-scoring affair.

“Still learning the offense, still learning where guys like the basketball and running the plays and things like that, but I thought he did a really good job.” Doing his part with his new team meant “just trying to find ways to be effective while I’m on the floor, and whatever’s asked of me,” he said. Lue did acknowledge that he should have given more playing time to Terance Mann, who was shifted to the bench because of Westbrook’s arrival and played only 17:32. “Just how I can be able to help make the game even more easier for them, so they don’t have to work as hard,” he said, “and, you know, we’ll get there.“ The Clippers are down to their final 20 games, a stretch they’ll launch with a visit to Western Conference-leading Denver on Sunday and at home against Minnesota on Tuesday. “It’s a blessing, just the excitement in the building,” Westbrook said. The Clippers see him as the point guard they’ve long been unable to find, a complement to Paul George and Kawhi Leonard and not the third side of a triangle, as he was supposed to be with the Lakers alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. “It’s about what I imagined,” George said of Westbrook’s fit in his debut. [signed Russell Westbrook](https://www.latimes.com/sports/clippers/story/2023-02-20/clippers-reportedly-plan-to-sign-russell-westbrook) this week, coach Tyronn Lue said he wasn’t expecting miracles from the nine-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been a part of a game with that many points. It was who do the Clippers want to be? The Clippers entered Friday’s game ranked fourth in the NBA points allowed per game at 111.1.

Russell Westbrook was the center of attention at the start of his Los Angeles Clippers debut, but all eyes were on the scoreboard by the end.

Sacramento and Los Angeles combined for 351 points in double-overtime thriller on Friday.

We were on the second night of a back-to-back but it is what it is. It was tied at 40 after the first quarter and Los Angeles led 80-76 at halftime. Nine-time All-Star made his Clippers debut Friday after being traded to the Utah Jazz from the Los Angeles Lakers. The 351-point total was the second-highest in NBA history. Friday's game was the first in Kings history when two teammates scored 40 or more points. Nuggets reserve Richard Anderson made one 3-pointer, and Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas made the other and finished with 47 points.

Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue didn't waste much time seeing how well Westbrook would mesh with his new team. The eight-time All-Star signed after he ...

The Clippers will need Westbrook to continue to get up to speed with only 20 games remaining in the regular season. He missed his first three 3-point attempts before making one in the corner in the first overtime. Still learning the offense, still learning where guys like the basketball and where to get the ball,” Lue said. Westbrook was waived by Utah on Monday after being traded to the Jazz by the Lakers on Feb. “It was great to get back on the floor. Westbrook’s Clippers debut was overshadowed in what ended up being the second-highest-scoring game in NBA history.

Malik Monk scored a career-high 45 points, De'Aaron Fox had the go-ahead basket and finished with 42 and the visiting Sacramento Kings beat the Los Angeles ...

The Clippers had a 162-156 lead with 3:04 remaining in the first overtime before the Kings scored six straight to even it. He missed last year due to a knee injury and did not playing in the first two meetings this season. Los Angeles had a chance to win it, but Leonard was unable to put in a tip in at the buzzer. Los Angeles had a 145-131 advantage with 4:25 remaining before the Kings rallied back to force overtime with a 22-8 run. He was 16 of 22 from the field, including six 3-pointers, in 46 minutes. .@AhmadMonk is the fifth player in franchise history to score 40+ points off the bench.

Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue didn't waste much time seeing how well Westbrook would mesh with his new team. The eight-time All-Star signed after he cleared waivers on Wednesday and was the starting point guard Friday night in a game against ...

The Clippers will need Westbrook to continue to get up to speed with only 20 games remaining in the regular season. He missed his first three 3-point attempts before making one in the corner in the first overtime. Still learning the offense, still learning where guys like the basketball and where to get the ball,” Lue said. Westbrook was waived by Utah on Monday after being traded to the Jazz by the Lakers on Feb. “It was great to get back on the floor. Westbrook’s Clippers debut was overshadowed in what ended up being the second-highest-scoring game in NBA history.

Malik Monk scored 45 points off the bench and De'Aaron Fox added 42 points and 12 assists as the visiting Sacramento Kings pulled off a 176-175 ...

Deandre Ayton registered 14 points and 11 rebounds for his 30th double-double of the season, Cameron Payne also scored 14 points. Rookie Jalen Williams added 22 points for the Thunder. The Hawks scored 100-plus points for the 35th consecutive game, the longest such streak in the NBA. chipped in with 15 points in his first NBA start for the Rockets. Cleveland entered the game allowing the fewest points in the league (106.3 per game). Russell Westbrook scored 17 points and dished out 14 assists in his debut with the team. Cam Thomas scored 22 points to lead four Nets in double figures. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 29 points but shot just 11 of 26 from the floor. Thompson shot 12-for-17 from beyond the arc, accounting for all but six of his points as he matched his second-highest-scoring performance of the season. Both teams set franchise records for points in a game while producing the second-highest scoring game in NBA history. Julius Randle tied a career high with 46 points on 16-of-29 shooting from the floor as the Knicks won their fourth straight game. Donte DiVincenzo and Jordan Poole backed Thompson with 15 points apiece for the Warriors, while Patrick Baldwin Jr.

Malik Monk scored 45 points off the bench and De'Aaron Fox added 42 points and 12 assists as the visiting Sacramento Kings pulled off a 176-175 ...

Deandre Ayton registered 14 points and 11 rebounds for his 30th double-double of the season, Cameron Payne also scored 14 points. Rookie Jalen Williams added 22 points for the Thunder. The Hawks scored 100-plus points for the 35th consecutive game, the longest such streak in the NBA. chipped in with 15 points in his first NBA start for the Rockets. Cleveland entered the game allowing the fewest points in the league (106.3 per game). Russell Westbrook scored 17 points and dished out 14 assists in his debut with the team. Cam Thomas scored 22 points to lead four Nets in double figures. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 29 points but shot just 11 of 26 from the floor. Thompson shot 12-for-17 from beyond the arc, accounting for all but six of his points as he matched his second-highest-scoring performance of the season. Both teams set franchise records for points in a game while producing the second-highest scoring game in NBA history. Julius Randle tied a career high with 46 points on 16-of-29 shooting from the floor as the Knicks won their fourth straight game. Donte DiVincenzo and Jordan Poole backed Thompson with 15 points apiece for the Warriors, while Patrick Baldwin Jr.

Sacramento's 176-175 victory over LA in double-overtime marks the 2nd highest-scoring game in NBA history.

The Clippers held a 145-131 lead with 4:25 left in the fourth quarter only for the Kings to force overtime with a 22-8 run. With the Clippers nursing a 162-156 cushion midway through the first overtime period, the Kings ripped off six unanswered points in 74 seconds. The Kings (34-25) created a 2-game cushion over the Phoenix Suns (33-28) and a 2-1/2 game edge over the Clippers (33-29) for third place in the West with 23 regular-season games remaining. Sacramento forced four turnovers within a 42-second span, leading to three Fox layups and a Keegan Murray dunk that cut the Clippers’ lead to 147-144 with 1:58 remaining in regulation. Trailing 175-169, they closed out the game with seven unanswered points, including Fox’s 19-foot jumper to put Sacramento up for good with 36.1 seconds remaining. That’s why in my opinion, our game is the greatest game on Earth.” “Kudos to the players. That’s because Brown has mostly preached defense during coaching stops with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2005-10, 2013-14), Los Angeles Lakers (2011-12) and now the Kings (2022-present). The Kings shot remarkably efficient from the field (65-for-111) and from 3-point range (18-for-41). But with the modern game consisting of quick scoring outbursts, a high volume of 3s and fast-paced offense, does it seem inevitable NBA teams will soon score at this rate on a more regular basis? The fatigue caught up to them on the second night of a back-to-back. No two NBA teams had scored at such a prolific rate since the Detroit Pistons edged the Denver Nuggets 186-184 in triple overtime on Dec.

De'Aaron Fox and the Sacramento Kings beat the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.

Scoring 175 points wasn't enough for the Clippers to win Friday night, but their newly signed point guard looked right at home during the offensive display, ...

[Ivica Zubac](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/z/zubaciv01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2023-02-25_bbr)missed Friday’s game with a strained right calf and is considered day-to-day, Greif [tweets](https://twitter.com/AndrewGreif/status/1629298616106987523?cxt=HHwWhsC94a-dt5wtAAAA). [Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/sports/clippers/story/2023-02-24/russell-westbrook-looks-at-home-and-kawhi-leonard). [Retweet](http://twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hoopsrumors.com%2F2023%2F02%2Fclippers-notes-westbrook-mann-zubac-george.html&text=Clippers+Notes%3A+Westbrook%2C+Mann%2C+Zubac%2C+George)3 [Share](#)0 [Send via email](#)0 [Paul George](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/georgpa01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2023-02-25_bbr))’s plays, knowing [Kawhi (Leonard)](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/leonaka01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2023-02-25_bbr)’s plays, that’s the most important thing,” Lue said. [Terance Mann](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mannte01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2023-02-25_bbr)only played 18 minutes, and Lue admitted that Mann wasn’t used enough. [Russell Westbrook](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/westbru01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2023-02-25_bbr) posted 17 points and 14 assists in his first game with the team and received a standing ovation when he fouled out in the second overtime of the second-highest scoring game in NBA history. “I think that’s something I don’t take for granted, being somewhere (and) given an opportunity to go play. Not just that, but the support of the organization, my teammates, the fans, overall, it’s a great debut but just didn’t get the win.” Coach Tyronn Lue said Westbrook learned the basics of the team’s offense quickly and “he knew enough” to handle a starting role. He didn’t mention his former team by name after Friday’s contest, but he alluded to having the Clippers’ veteran stars as But I thought he did a good job knowing the plays and knowing the play calls, and he did a good job with it.” There’s still a lot more that we can still incorporate and learn on the fly.

With a combined 351 points, Friday's game was just another reminder of the unprecedented scoring the league is witnessing.

That was obvious for the Clippers, as their locker room was as quiet as it had been since a humiliating early January home loss to the Denver Nuggets. “One of the deepest teams in the league. “Obviously that’s one of the better teams in the league,” Fox said. [Kawhi Leonard](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/kawhi-leonard-ZVBR9DRffqJpzLHV/) had 44 points for the Clippers in his best scoring output of the season, but it was Monk who led all scorers with a career-high 45 points off the bench. And I got to be able to set the tone with that.” George had a chance to hit the game-winner, but his shot at the end of overtime missed — and that was it for George, who was on a minute restriction and was unable to play in the second overtime. And then the second overtime was just, it was just too much.” “Got a great look to a great 3-point shooter, and a guy that was hot all night. “He told us the same thing that we are going to see who we are, and see what we about too. [LA Clippers](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/clippers/) were debuting a new starting point guard, 2017 NBA MVP [Russell Westbrook](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/russell-westbrook-6Eb0XPY16UzzJWbc/). That’s the day the NBA scoreboard displayed the most points scored by two teams in a game. The [Sacramento Kings](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/sac-kings/), unlike those Pistons and Nuggets teams on that fateful December night in 1983, were playing on the second night of a back-to-back on the road.

Russell Westbrook went for a double-double of 17 points and 14 assists in his Clippers debut.

However, in comparison to the Lakers, the Clippers have an entire roster of perimeter shooters who can make up for Westbrook's lack of a threat from outside of the paint. 10 p.m. He took rookie forward Keegan Murray off the dribble, finishing at the rim to put LA up three with 15.2 seconds remaining. As LA looks to make a push for its first championship in franchise history, will Westbrook be the missing piece? Once he signed with the team, Head coach Ty Lue [didn't mince words when he discussed Westbrook's role](https://twitter.com/AndrewGreif/status/1628855705951412224?s=20), inserting him right into the starting lineup. It was immediately made clear that Westbrook wouldn't suit up for Utah, awaiting a contract buyout to gain the freedom to latch on to a team with championship aspirations. The potential spacing issue was known when the Clippers signed Westbrook but in his debut, we got a glimpse of what it looks like on a new team.

To begin, the refs missed a foul on Domantas Sabonis that would have sent Kawhi Leonard to the free two line with less than two minutes remaining in regulation.

The LA Clippers fell short in the craziest NBA game we've seen in this era, providing maximum chaos for Russell Westbrook's debut. What are some of the main ...

If this is going to work and lead to a championship, it will require one of the best coaching efforts we’ve seen. Lue was already having a difficult time figuring out the proper rotations and allotment of minutes for all of his guards. Yet, with Westbrook entering the fold, Mann was squeezed to just 17 minutes and 32 seconds of playing time on Friday. The Kings took full advantage of his absence, getting to the rim 51 times in the double overtime thriller. Since LA is a team that primarily switches everything outside of actions involving their center, it’s imperative they keep the ball in front and limit those line-drives to the basket. The Kings were 18-of-26 (69.2%) when they attempted a shot on those drives, and got to the line 24 times. Additionally, teams are getting to the rim at a 34.1% rate (proportion of field goal attempts coming in the restricted area) and converting at a 68.4% clip. The Clippers failed to gang-rebound, often giving teams second and third chances in the halfcourt. Even with a nuanced breakdown and realizing the total number of turnovers doesn’t always tell the whole story, the Clippers knew what they were getting into. If you simulate Friday’s game 100 times and guarantee all of those factors, the Clippers are running away with a victory in at least 95 of those instances. It’s what allowed the Clippers to have the most efficient shooting season in NBA history in 2021, and why they feel confident a Finals appearance was in the cards if Kawhi didn’t get injured. With only 20 games remaining, there’s a lot to discuss about the state of the team.

Last night's Kings-Clippers game made NBA history. Nekias Duncan breaks down the most important play: Malik Monk's OT-forcing three.

But even with Westbrook ultimately making the wrong read, the Clippers had chances to avoid disaster. The tell for the "Hammer" would be the late screen being set by Keegan Murray as Monk flows to the corner. On three occasions before this moment, Monk set early-in-the-clock screens for Fox, with the Clippers opting to switch. As Mark Jones expertly calls out during the mayhem, the Kings are trying to set up a "Hammer" on the weakside for Monk. A Russell Westbrook debut befitting of the future Hall of Famer: 17 points, 14 assists (7 turnovers) and 6 fouls with the Clippers winning his minutes by three points. And we certainly don't get the overtime without Monk's three from the right corner with 1.1 seconds left.

The LA Clippers come back from the All-Star break with a big matchup against the Pacific Division leading Sacramento Kings Game Information Where:

They have one of the better duos in the NBA with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. The Sacramento Kings come to town on the second night of a back-to-back and as arguably the biggest surprise in the NBA this season. They are first in the NBA in points per game at 119.5 and second in offensive rating at 118.1. One other thing the Clippers need to monitor is the health of Ivica Zubac. He is a former MVP and will ultimately retire as one of the best guards to ever play the game. The Kings are exactly one game ahead of them in the Western Conference standings and a win would essentially move the Clippers into third place.

The Sacramento Kings need to shore up a defense that is allowing 117.16 points per game before their contest Friday. They might have tired legs after a matchup ...

- Jan 06, 2017 - Los Angeles 106 vs. - Dec 26, 2017 - Los Angeles 122 vs. - Jan 11, 2018 - Los Angeles 121 vs. The Kings are 18-14 after wins this season, Los Angeles 17-15. - Dec 26, 2018 - Los Angeles 127 vs. - Jan 15, 2021 - Los Angeles 138 vs. - Jan 20, 2021 - Los Angeles 115 vs. - Dec 22, 2021 - Los Angeles 105 vs. They might have tired legs after a matchup yesterday as they head on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers at 10:30 p.m. [NBA picks](https://www.sportsline.com/nba/picks/#ttag=SL19_lk_cbssports_nba_htw) for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Regional restrictions may apply.) The matchup made it Fox's fifth in a row with at least 31 points.

Robert Covington brought a decade of league experience and an All-Defensive First Team nod to the Clippers last season, but his value extends far beyond the ...

“Going to an HBCU is the best thing that ever happened to me.” “I’ve had a village that has been there to help me throughout life,” Covington shared. What makes Covington a Black Game Changer, a visionary, and a leader for those that now follow in his footsteps? The coaches spoke of the game as a paradigm of familial values: it builds a brotherhood. Our goal is to make sure these young men are ready for the real world,” Donte Jackson, head coach of the Grambling State men’s basketball team said. One of the biggest trailblazers in the league is on their own roster.

At Westbrook's introductory news conference, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said the team wants “Russ to be Russ.”

But the addition of Westbrook is a subplot to the main storyline of getting George and Leonard to be at their best more consistently. Westbrook is a bad free-throw shooter, but he also draws fouls at a high rate, which benefits an entire offense; it doesn’t matter who gets fouled once you’re in the bonus. But a primary reason for George and Leonard wanting another high-usage ballhandler was so that the ball is not in their hands so often throughout the course of a game. Powell also said of incumbent starter [Terance Mann](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/terance-mann-5ckD9JvYcPCUx6NM/) that “bringing T. George and Leonard’s fourth-quarter field goal percentages were much lower than their first three quarters, so while the team was successful, it was coming at an increased strain on the stars. How Westbrook fits in closing lineups is questionable at best. [Norman Powell](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/norman-powell-hiYUGADQy1AEo1fw/) discussed Friday morning at shootaround how Westbrook would be able to facilitate “especially in that first unit” while creating catch-and-shoot opportunities for George and Leonard in particular. Last week I reported the Clippers weren’t just approved to meet with Westbrook, but that a specific role was in mind: being a starting point guard for a team that featured George and Leonard. Lue has also been blunt about his desire to keep a true point guard in the rotation, even after benching incumbent starter That coincided with George and Leonard stacking games together. “Me and Kawhi are from L.A., but it’s always been a mutual respect, love. “One, just being from L.A., and then second, Paul is just a great person overall,” he said.

Now Westbrook is seemingly returning to a starting lineup, and he'll have big shoes to fill. Mann may not be as accomplished as Westbrook, but the Clippers have ...

Assuming Zubac remains in the starting five, the Clippers will now be starting two non-shooters. Mann may not be as accomplished as Westbrook, but the Clippers have been excellent since adding him to the starting five. Now Westbrook is seemingly returning to a starting lineup, and he'll have big shoes to fill. [Terance Mann](/nba/players/2202577/terance-mann/), who had been the nominal starting point guard for the Clippers over the past month or so, is expected to rejoin the second unit according to Murray. Westbrook had been a starter for most of his career, but after three ugly losses to begin this season, the Lakers moved him to the bench. [NBA](/nba/)'s Sixth Man of the Year award, averaging 15.9 points, 7.5 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game, but his fit with the Lakers slowly grew increasingly problematic.

Sacramento Kings (33-25, third in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (33-28, fourth in the Western Conference)

[Data Skrive](https://www.dataskrive.com/) and data from [Sportradar](https://www.sportradar.com). Sacramento ranks seventh in the Western Conference shooting 36.6% from 3-point range. [Code of Conduct](https://www.thestar.com/about/community-guidelines.html). The teams square off for the third time this season. Kings: 6-4, averaging 120.4 points, 41.6 rebounds, 25.2 assists, 8.3 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 49.9% from the field. Sabonis is averaging 17.7 points and 11.7 rebounds while shooting 58.9% over the last 10 games for Sacramento. LAST 10 GAMES: Clippers: 6-4, averaging 115.0 points, 42.1 rebounds, 22.5 assists, 8.1 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. BOTTOM LINE: Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers host De’Aaron Fox and the Sacramento Kings in Western Conference action Friday. Fox is scoring 24.9 points per game with 4.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists for the Kings. Los Angeles Clippers (33-28, fourth in the Western Conference) George is averaging 23.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 steals over the past 10 games for Los Angeles. Sacramento Kings (33-25, third in the Western Conference) vs.

Clippers fans made sure to show Russell Westbrook that he's well-loved in LA despite his rather forgettable stint with the Lakers.

We just gotta make sure it’s in the confines of our team… We want him to be the MVP, the Hall of Famer that he is. He was sent to the Utah Jazz as part of the Lakers’ deal for D’Angelo Russell, eventually reaching a buyout agreement with the Salt Lake City franchise

The Kings have ruled out KZ Okpala, and no one else is on their injury report for the matchup. Meanwhile, the Clippers will be without Brandon Boston Jr., Jason ...

It's a very shocking move mainly because Terance Mann has done such a phenomenal job as a starter for the Clippers. The team is 10-2 when he, Kawhi Leonard, and ...

After making multiple deals in advance of the NBA trade deadline, the Clippers made another significant addition this week when they signed nine-time All-Star ...

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The Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings delivered one of the greatest performances you'll ever see in a basketball game on Friday.

The Clippers had a 175-169 advantage with 1:57 remaining before the Kings scored the final seven points, including Fox's jumper with 36.5 seconds remaining. Russell Westbrook started and made his Clippers debut after he cleared waivers Wednesday. 13, 1983, in the highest-scoring NBA game.

Russell Westbrook was the center of attention at the start of his Los Angeles Clippers debut, but all eyes were on the scoreboard by the end.

Russell Westbrook went for a double-double of 17 points and 14 assists in his Clippers debut.

However, in comparison to the Lakers, the Clippers have an entire roster of perimeter shooters who can make up for Westbrook's lack of a threat from outside of the paint. 10 p.m. He took rookie forward Keegan Murray off the dribble, finishing at the rim to put LA up three with 15.2 seconds remaining. As LA looks to make a push for its first championship in franchise history, will Westbrook be the missing piece? Once he signed with the team, Head coach Ty Lue [didn't mince words when he discussed Westbrook's role](https://twitter.com/AndrewGreif/status/1628855705951412224?s=20), inserting him right into the starting lineup. It was immediately made clear that Westbrook wouldn't suit up for Utah, awaiting a contract buyout to gain the freedom to latch on to a team with championship aspirations. The potential spacing issue was known when the Clippers signed Westbrook but in his debut, we got a glimpse of what it looks like on a new team.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Malik Monk scored a career-high 45 points, De'Aaron Fox had the go-ahead basket and finished with 42 and the Sacramento Kings beat ...

The Clippers had a 162-156 lead with 3:04 remaining in the first overtime before the Kings scored six straight to even it. Los Angeles had a chance to win it, but Leonard was unable to put in a tip in at the buzzer. Los Angeles had a 145-131 advantage with 4:25 remaining before the Kings rallied back to force overtime with a 22-8 run. He was 16 of 22 from the field, including six 3-pointers, in 46 minutes. Sacramento center Domantas Sabonis played only 31 minutes after being in foul trouble most of the night. The Clippers had a 175-169 advantage with 1:57 remaining before the Kings scored the final seven points, including Fox’s jumper with 36.5 seconds remaining. We were on the second night of a back-to-back but it is what it is. The last to do it was James Harden in 2019. It is the second time it has happened in an NBA game this season after Cleveland’s Caris LeVert and Donovan Mitchell did it against Boston. Kawhi Leonard scored a season-high 44 points for Los Angeles and Paul George added 34. It is only the second time in the NBA’s 76-year history that both teams have scored at least 170 points. A team has scored 170 points in a regular-season game only seven times.

On Friday, Malik Monk led the scoring for the Kings with 45 points, while De'Aron Fox added 42 points and 12 assists.

Making sense of the league’s scoring boom](https://theathletic.com/4069128/2023/01/09/making-sense-nba-scoring-boom/) [How Mike Brown and the Sacramento Kings are preparing for a season-defining stretch run](https://theathletic.com/4242694/2023/02/23/sacramento-kings-mike-brown/) The Kings and Clippers combined to make 44 3s, with the Clippers setting the record for most 3s made (26) in a loss. In the last 14 minutes of the game, the Kings scored 45 points. [Russell Westbrook](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/russell-westbrook-6Eb0XPY16UzzJWbc/), who fouled out at the end of the game, had a double-double in his debut with the team with 17 points, 14 assists, five rebounds and a steal. [Malik Monk](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/malik-monk-VB7T4MBDdeeVJnm1/)led all players in scoring on Friday with 45 points, while [De’Aaron Fox](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/deaaron-fox-HK4MAggNlmQ7dgSa/)added 42 points, 12 assists and five steals for the Kings. Fox scored or assisted on 13 of Sacramento’s final 17 points in regulation to help send the game to overtime, per StatMuse.