Kings climb up ESPN rankings after winning run

Sacramento Kings win Miami Heat 111-110, thanks to the game winner Domantas Sabonis, who increased his record to 4-3. Sacramento finished its four-game Eastern Conference tour with three wins and won four of its last five overall.

ESPN published its latest NBA Power Rankingswhich ranked the Kings as the 15th best team in the league. An NBA panel of experts ranked Sacramento 19th last week as the slight rise in the rankings reflected the Kings’ success on the court.

“Clutch time was the Kings’ Achilles heel last season, but they were optimistic that the addition of DeMar DeRozan would alleviate those issues. Overtime in Atlanta However, the clutch hero for the Kings on Monday was not DeRozan or Fox, but Domantas Sabonis, who managed to defeat the Heat, putting the team above .500. — Kendra Andrews, ESPN

The Kings are led by a new star trio of De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan, averaging 70.2 points, 23.0 rebounds, 22.7 assists and 4.7 steals per game between them.

Many experts and even fans questioned Sacramento’s acquisition of DeRozan this offseason, but the All-Star forward is already making a significant impact across the court.

Before this season, it was hard to take the Kings seriously as a contender, but DeRozan adds a whole new element to their system that takes them to the next level.

Although their record suggests they are a mid-table team, they have lost three games by a total of seven points. The Kings have already shown that they can hang with any team in the league and should climb into the top ten in ESPN’s rankings soon enough.

Follow the Sacramento Kings on SI on Facebook And Twitter.

WITHsubscribe to YouTube for the latest Kings news videos and live podcasts!