Brooks has big fourth quarter, scores 26 to lead Rockets over Kings 107-89

HOUSTON (AP) — Dillon Brooks scored 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Houston Rockets to a 107-89 win over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night.

It’s the second straight win for the Rockets after they opened the season 0-3.

A 3-pointer by Malik Monk got the Kings within 3 with about 8 1/2 minutes remaining. The Rockets then went on a 10-2 run, with six points from Brooks, to push the lead to 90-79 midway through the period.

Monk made a layup after that, but Brooks hit a 3-pointer seconds later to extend Houston’s lead. Harrison Barnes made one of two free throws for Sacramento before Brooks struck again, making another 3-pointer to extend it to 96-82 with 4 ½ minutes left.

He blew a kiss to the crowd before racing down the court to play defense.

Monk scored 18 points off the bench to lead the Kings with star De’Aaron Fox out for a second straight game with a sprained right ankle. Domantas Sabonis had 11 points with a team-high 15 rebounds and Harrison Barnes added 13 points for Sacramento.

Fred VanVleet scored 21 with 12 assists and Jabari Smith Jr. also had 21 points with 11 rebounds for the Rockets.

Houston led by as many as 17 in the first half. But the Kings used a 10-0 run capped by a 3 from Barnes to go on top 65-64 for their first lead of the game with five minutes left in the third quarter. Houston committed three turnovers in that stretch.

Neither team could score for the next couple of minutes until VanVleet made a layup with about three minutes left in the third to snap a Rockets’ scoring drought of more than seven minutes.

That bucket was the start of an 7-0 run that left Houston up 71-65. But Monk hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the quarter to cut the lead to 71-68 entering the fourth.

The Rockets were without rookie Amen Thompson, who sprained his right ankle Thursday night.

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The teams meet again in Houston on Monday night.