Hawks in the NBA | Feb. 20-26

Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray opened the second half of the season with strong play on both ends of the floor.

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Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Feb 26, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) goes up for a basket as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Dario Saric (9) defends during the second quarter at Paycom Center.

Colin Votzmeyer, Sports Reporter


Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray opened the second half of the season with consistent play on both ends of the floor.

After participating in the Rising Stars event during the Feb. 17 -19 All-Star Weekend in Utah, the rookie starter aided the Kings to a 3-0 record this week, capped off with a 20-point performance in a 124-115 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 26.

In 32 minutes of play, he shot 7-for-15 from the field, 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, and 4-for-9 from three.

Murray is 51 3-pointers away from breaking Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell’s rookie 3-pointers made record. He has 25 games left to break it, but he has made 68 threes in his last 25 games.

Murray added six rebounds, two assists, and three steals to the performance.

On Feb. 24, the Kings beat the Clippers, 176-175, in two overtimes — the second-highest scoring game in NBA history. In 43 minutes of play, Murray scored 15 points on 7-for-12 from the field and 1-for-4 from three. On top of his additional three rebounds, two assists, and no turnovers, he continued his lockdown defense with two steals and another block.

In the Feb. 23 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, 133-116, Murray scored 10 points in 25 minutes on 4-for-7 from the field and 2-for-5 from deep. He also grabbed 2 rebounds, notched an assist, and protected the rim with two blocks.

The Kings are 1.5 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies for second in the Western Conference.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Luka Garza, who won MVP in the G League Next Up Game during the All-Star Weekend, did not see game action in the loss to the Hornets on Feb. 24 but did in the Feb. 26 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Garza played four minutes, shooting 1-for-1 from the field and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line for seven points and three rebounds.

The Timberwolves fell to 31-32 and ninth in the Western Conference.

Toronto Raptors guard Joe Wieskamp, who signed a multi-year deal with the team on Feb. 11, did not play in a win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Feb. 23 or win over the Detroit Pistons on Feb. 25.

But in a Feb. 26 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, 118-93, Wieskamp played seven minutes but went 0-for-3 from the field — all from 3-point land.

G League

Salt Lake City Stars center Tyler Cook, who went against Garza in the G League Next Up Game, scored seven points in a 119-112 win over the Santa Cruz Warriors on Feb. 25.

He played 30 minutes, shooting 2-for-6 from the field and 2-for-4 from the charity stripe, adding eight rebounds and four assists. His +/- of 15 led the team.

Iowa Wolves guard Jordan Bohannon put up six points on 2-for-7 from the field — all from three — in a 124-116 loss to the Mexico City Capitanes on Feb. 22. He played 21 minutes, in which he included seven rebounds and an assist. His +/- of 24 also led the team.

Bohannon’s +/- of four again led the Wolves on Feb. 25, although they lost, 148-126, to the South Bay Lakers. He played 11 minutes, shooting 1-for-2 from the field, 0-for-1 from three, and 1-for-1 from the free-throw line for a total of four points in addition to two rebounds and an assist.