The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

ORLANDO, Florida - Buddy Hield reached double figures for the fourth time in the last five games and helped the Kings snap an eight-game losing streak.

The Kings scored a 105-99 win over the Orlando Magic Tuesday at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.

He finished with 13 points in 28 minutes on 5-10 shooting and 3-6 from three-point range. He also added five rebounds, four steals and two assists.

Hield exited the game in the fourth quarter with 4:55 left to play with an apparent knee injury after a collision with the Magic's Jonathon Simmons.

"It was like a little funny bone in my knee I hit. Its been kind of nagging, its been getting better but when I hit it there was an automatic reaction, it goes dead on you, but I was good though, I wanted to go back in but coach was probably being cautious about it, but we'll just keep playing it safe," he said. "I'm good though but there's nothing wrong with me. There's nothing bad about it. I'll be okay."

The second year guard said he does not expect the injury to effect him tonight.

The Kings trailed by 10 late in the third quarter when Hield made a three and on the next possession followed with a fast break dunk to trim the deficit to just five.

Hield had an opportunity to pull up for a transition three pointer on the next play, but dished it to Malachi Richardson on the break. Hield called it an example of the ball movement and unselfish nature that the team attempts to buy into. "Just making the right play, talking to the guys, the more we make the right play it gets contagious. So I make a play for Malachi or he makes a play for Skal, Skal makes a play for Bogie and it continues on and just helps the team to get better. It's not about worrying about what we do individually it's more about making the best play available," Hield said.

Sacramento led 28-27 at the end of the first quarter but the Magic took a 53-52 lead into the half. The Kings showed signs of tired legs on the second leg of a back-to-back and the Magic took a decisive lead in the third led by Jonathon Simmons. The Magic forward scored 14 points in the third period, including three 3-pointers and a three-point play.

After trailing 80-70, the Kings ended the third on a 7-2 run and the Magic took an 82-77 lead into the fourth. The Magic maintained their lead early in the fourth and Elfrid Payton's jumper with 7:13 left gave the Magic a 91-86 advantage. Sacramento rallied from an 11-point third-quarter deficit to take a 94-93 lead on Garrett Temple's three-pointer with 5:11 left in the game. Temple followed that with two perimeter jumpers and another 3-pointer to help the Kings to a 101-97 lead with 1:31 to go.

"We finished the game with six stops in a row. We had 11 shots blocked tonight and that helps us. It's a great win. It's a happy locker room. We broke a losing streak, but we've been getting better," Kings head coach Dave Joerger said.

"We played better the other night, we played better tonight. I was proud of them at halftime, how much we've fought and fought like crazy. We just said hey let's go out and play that hard and see what happens in the second half."

The win over the Magic, which came on the second night of a back-to-back, was the first for the Kings since they defeated the Denver Nuggets on January 8. The Kings go for their second consecutive win against the Miami Heat 7:30pm tonight at the American Airlines Arena.

As a starter in the first seven games of the season, Hield shot just 35 per cent from the field and 23 per cent from the three-point line while averaging 10.3 points per game. Hield is averaging 12.5 points per game on 44 per cent shooting both from the field and three-point range along with 90 per cent from the free throw line.