Cam Thomas Wills Nets Past Kings in Jordi Fernandez's Return

A three-point barrage carried Brooklyn to victory.

Nov 19, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez coaches against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Desperate for a win following a disappointing loss to a banged-up Philadelphia 76ers team, the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Sacramento Kings 108-103 in Head Coach Jordi Fernandez's return to the franchise he spent two seasons with.

Despite the contest taking place in Sacramento, both squads did their best to honor the streetball legacy of Brooklyn. From the opening tip, the stage was set for a Cam Thomas-De'Aaron Fox one-on-one show. Both crafty scorers took turns trading buckets, but as the supporting casts began to chime in, it was the Nets who pulled away.

Fox's 14 first-quarter points essentially neutralized Thomas' 15, but the Kings couldn't keep pace with Brooklyn's red-hot three-point shooting. In a sharp reversal from the Nets' failures against Philadelphia, the offense was humming.

While boasting six unique players who buried a triple, Brooklyn shot 7-of-11 from beyond the arc en rout to a 37-29 advantage in the opening frame.

The deep bombs only multiplied over the next 12 minutes of action.

Noah Clowney nearly surpassed his season high in points in the first half alone, thanks to a scorching 4-for-4 from three. Keon Johnson added two of his own and as the treys continued compounding, so did the frustration on Sacramento's end.

Due to trailing by as much as 19 in the second stanza, Kings head coach Mike Brown unleashed his anger on one of the officials, drawing a technical at the 7:13 mark over a questionable no-call. Whether this was genuine or a tactic to motivate his team, the action had the former's effect.

As Thomas and Fox carried on with their duel, Sacramento began trimming the Nets' lead. After shaving off 10 points, Brooklyn carried a 65-57 lead through the halftime buzzer.

Then, the Nets' patent-pending third-quarter collapse ensued.

Brooklyn was outscored 31-23 out of the break, once again squandering a massive early lead and allowing their opponent to jump ahead. Throughout the first half, the Kings relied solely on Fox, but the trio of DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray began powering Sacramento's attack.

The Nets, suddenly reeling, found themselves down three just before Clowney rattled in a buzzer-beating three to knot the score heading into the fourth.

Down the stretch, it was all Brooklyn. Thomas nailed another of the Nets' 19 total threes to cut the Nets' deficit to just one with 8:47 to play, kicking off a 9-0 run. Having rediscovered its first-half self, Brooklyn just needed to preserve the lead as the clock dripped away.

A DeRozan hoop-plus-the-harm threatened the Nets' narrow lead, but a sound and composed performance in the game's final moments secured the victory in Brooklyn's head coach's return.

Back in the win column, the Nets continue their three-game West Coast road trip tomorrow night against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors at 10 p.m. EST.

To access the final box score from the Brooklyn Nets' win over the Sacramento Kings, click here.

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