Hoops Habit
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Hoops Habit’s favorite moments and stories from the 2022-23 NBA season

By Leocciano Callao

Feb 7, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) hugs agent Rich Paul after breaking the all-time scoring record in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 7, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) hugs agent Rich Paul after breaking the all-time scoring record in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 24: De’Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings drives to the basket on Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers during a 176-175 double overtime Kings win at Crypto.com Arena on February 24, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 24: De’Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings drives to the basket on Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers during a 176-175 double overtime Kings win at Crypto.com Arena on February 24, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Wyatt Zetterberg: the second-highest scoring NBA game ever.

One of the best stories of this NBA season was Sacramento Kings’ long awaited return to relevance. Led by All-Stars De’Aaron Fox and Domanatas Sabonis, the Kings earned the three seed in the Western Conference before bowing out to the defending champions Warriors in seven games.

The “Beam Team”, which the Kings were dubbed on account of the purple beam that would shoot up from the Kings’ Golden 1 center after every win, had a season filled with memorable moments. There was their 120-80 win over Portland to clinch a playoff spot for the first time in 16 seasons, De’Aaron Fox’s dominance in crunch time earning him the inaugural Jerry West clutch Player of the Year trophy, and Mike Brown winning Coach of the Year in his first season.

No win took longer or required more points though than their 176-175 double overtime win over the Los Angeles Clippers in the second-highest scoring NBA game ever.

Down 13 with five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Sacramento stormed back behind an offensive surge capped off by Malik Monk’s game-tying three at the end of regulation. They overcame Sabonis fouling out with three minutes to go in the first overtime and falling behind 175-169 with under two minutes to go in the second. A pair of Harrison Barnes free throws, a Malik Monk three, and finally a De’Aaron Fox elbow jumper gave the Kings their defining win of a memorable season in Sacramento.