You can’t keep Zach LaVine down for long.
The Sacramento shooting guard responded to one of the worst nights of his career with his best of the season, pouring in 42 points in the Kings’ 127-111 win over the Heat in Miami on Saturday.
LaVine’s emphatic return to form augurs well ahead of Sacramento’s interconference clash with the Indiana Pacers on Monday in Indianapolis.
LaVine, who is averaging a team-best 20.9 points per game, was held to just two in a blowout road loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, before stepping up in Florida to snap the Kings’ four-game skid.
He set a sizzling tone against the Heat, pouring in 29 first-half points, and finished with an 8-of-13 clip from 3-point range.
“More than anything we wanted Zach to just be aggressive,” Sacramento coach Doug Christie said. “That’s who he is for us. We want him to shoot more 3-pointers. … He is our main guy when it comes to pulling up. We got some screens for him early, he got some in transition, but he came out and set the tone with a very, very aggressive mindset.”
Complementing LaVine’s hot shooting, Sacramento’s fast, hands-on defense caused problems for Miami, the example set by veteran DeMar DeRozan.
“Scout-wise, we really tried to make sure we were keeping them in front of us, trying to have hands in passing lanes,” Christie said. “The winning play of the game, in my opinion, was DeMar diving on the floor. They (teammates) love him like that. When he sets a tone in that way, it brings up everyone’s spirit and everyone’s mindset. It was really good to see him doing that.”
The Kings aren’t alone in hitting their stride ahead of the clash in Indiana.
The Pacers will similarly be aiming for back-to-back wins after defeating the Chicago Bulls 120-105 on Friday for their first away win all season.
Pascal Siakam scored a season-best 36 points, while Bennedict Mathurin contributed 28. Mathurin shot 6 of 11 from beyond the arc, and Siakam went 5 of 7.
“We did a lot of good things on offense,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. “I thought for the period of the entire game, we did a very good job on transition, getting back, not giving them a lot of transition points.
“We worked Pascal out in the fourth quarter. He just got the ball in the right places — he got the ball at the basket, at the free-throw line (and) made it hard for them to come back. It was great. First road win — it’s been a rough stretch. That feels good for these guys and for all of us.”
No less important was Andrew Nembhard’s performance, combining a 15-point, seven-assist haul with a masterful lockdown job on Chicago playmaker Josh Giddey, holding him to nine points on 2-of-9 shooting and five turnovers.
There is a high chance Nembhard will be tasked with performing a similar role on LaVine.
“Andrew Nembhard is one of the best defenders in the world,” Carlisle said. “It’s as simple as that, whether you’re talking on the ball or off the ball.”
The Pacers won both meetings with Sacramento last season.
