Ochai Agbaji and rookie Drake Powell combined 17 points in the fourth quarter as the Brooklyn Nets stopped a 10-game losing streak by leading most of the way in a 116-99 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night in New York.
The Nets (18-57) allowed the game’s first basket and never trailed again, taking a 27-point lead midway through the second quarter before getting their first win since March 9.
Agbaji led the Nets with 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting while Powell finished with 16 on 6-of-8 shooting.
Rookie Nolan Traore added 17 and six assists and Noah Clowney contributed 15 as the Nets shot 49.4% and made 17 3s on 41 attempts, sealing just their third win in their past 23 games.
The Kings (19-57) took their 11th straight road loss to an Eastern Conference team and used their 34th starting lineup while having nine available players.
DeMar DeRozan (right hamstring soreness) missed his second game of the season and the Kings were also without Malik Monk (bruised shoulder).
Devin Carter led the Kings with 11 of his 20 points in the fourth and shot 6-of-12. Rookie Nique Clifford contributed 17 and seven rebounds while Precious Achiuwa chipped 16 and eight boards.
DaQuan Jeffries finished with 14, Maxime Raynaud had 13 and Doug McDermott chipped in 12 for the Kings.
The Kings shot 42.9%, were 10 of 32 from 3 and committed 23 fouls a week after earning a four-point home win over Brooklyn.
The Nets took control from the outset. They held a 31-18 lead through the opening quarter and took a 43-20 lead on an open 3 by Clowney at the top of the key a little more than three minutes into the second. Clowney’s triple was part of a 14-0 run, and the Nets held a 68-45 lead by halftime.
Brooklyn scored 18 points in the third when it committed 10 turnovers and settled for an 86-73 lead into the fourth. Clifford’s 3 sliced the lead to 92-83 with 9:49 left before the Nets finished things by scoring the next 13 points. Powell capped the run with a 3 at the 5:41 mark.
