Viktor Lahkin’s dominant interior presence and Emanuel Sharp’s clutch scoring erased a double-digit deficit, keeping Sacramento undefeated following a gritty defensive stand in the California Classic.
Viktor Lahkin's defense protected the Sacramento Kings' one-possession lead as the Golden State Warriors desperately tried to tie the game within the last minute.
Lahkin's stability and Emanuel Sharp's clutch free throws helped Sacramento pull out a 91-85 victory over Golden State on Sunday night. The Kings improve to 2-0 in the California Classic Summer League.
Isaiah Stevens and Sharp finished with a game-high 18 points, Marquel Sutton scored 16 points off the bench and Lahkin had 12 points. Sacramento had an impressive defensive outing, recording seven steals and eight blocks.
Sunday's matchup did not feature the lottery picks for both franchises -- Darius Acuff Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg. Golden State has two summer league teams, Gold and Blue, and Lendeborg appeared in the Gold's game against the San Antonio Spurs.
Sacramento had a better start to Sunday's game than it did to Friday's. Both teams exchanged buckets for the first four minutes of the game, and it was tied 6-6 before Golden State went on a run.
The Warriors scored eight unanswered points, led by Cameron Tyson's three-point shooting. Tyson nailed back-to-back threes to push his team's lead to six points, and Jackson Moni capped off the run with a layup.
Nick Boyd was the catalyst behind Golden State's run, assisting on all three makes. The Kings crawled back into the game, cutting the deficit and continued to score with their opponent.
Sacramento's resilience persisted in the second quarter, as they never laid down. Golden State went up nine points (35-26), and Stevens kickstarted a mini run to cut into the deficit.
The Kings entered the half down 10 points (52-42) and responded with improved shotmaking and increased their defensive intensity in the second half.
Sacramento scored 49 points to Golden State's 33. A significant turnaround for the team, similar to its performance against the Nets on Friday, but this time, without its lottery pick to lead the way.
Sharp and Lahkin took over in the third quarter. The Kings' 45th overall pick lit up the Warriors from distance, shooting 3-for-4 from three and making a running floater in the paint.
Lahkin had six points and one block in the third quarter. He was at the center of almost every crucial call down the stretch in the fourth quarter.
Golden State tried targeting Lahkin down the stretch for an easy basket, but his defense held up. It came down to the dreaded free-throw game for the Warriors to come back.
Moni stepped to the free throw line with the opportunity to cut Sacramento's lead to one possession. He achieved that goal with the first free throw, then intentionally missed the second and the ball bounced back to him.
The Kings scrambled on defense, preventing an easy three-point shot, and RJ Nembhard Jr. ran into the towering Lahkin, turning the ball over. Sharp secured possession of the ball and sealed the game with his free throws.
Sacramento will end its California Classic three-game slate against the Milwaukee Bucks on ESPNU/Prime Video at 10 p.m. EST.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/roundtable-rtb/id6450423049) and stay even more connected!
