The Kings turnovers and failure to defend the 3-point line led to a 95-83 loss to the Heat at Sleep Train Arena on Friday night.
Chris Bosh and Luol Deng, were a combined 5-for-7 from 3-point range and scored 30 and 25 points, respectively while rookie Shabazz Napier added 12 points for Miami (18-22) in the win.
Sacramento (16-23) was led by DeMarcus Cousins who scored 17 points and 11 rebounds resulting in his 23rd double-double of the season.
Ben McLemore scored 15 points, Darren Collison added 13, Ray McCallum 11 and Derrick Williams, who started for Rudy Gay, added 10 to round out the Kings double figure scorers.
The Heat entered Friday night’s game 17th in the NBA in 3-point shooting but were far from average, shooting 8-17 from downtown, while shooting 47 percent overall from the floor.
Both teams were without marquee players as Rudy Gay and Dwyane Wade sat out due to injuries. But it was Miami’s duo of Bosh and Deng who stepped up in the win that was more decisive than the final score would indicate.
Sacramento employed its eight starting lineup of the season and appeared out of sync offensively, committing 15 turnovers - eight by Cousins - which Miami turned into 17 points.
Miami lead 45-44 with 2:27 to go in the second quarter and went on a 12-0 run, pushing its lead to 57-44 with 10:09 remaining in the third quarter at 57-44.
Sacramento trailed 75-61 entering the fourth quarter but never cut deeper than 12 points into the Miami lead the rest of the way.
Serving as a harbinger of what was to come the rest of the night, Miami shot 2-for-3 from 3-point range and received a combined 15-points from Bosh and Deng to lead 26-22 at the end of the first quarter.
The Kings trailed by as a many as 20 points and although Sacramento leads the NBA in rebound margin, they were out-rebounded 38-35 by Miami, the leagues worst rebounding team.
Sacramento is now 2-3 on the homestand and have dropped six of their last 10 games.
Miami had won three of five coming into Sacramento and complete their five-game west coast road trip with a record of 3-2.
STANDOUT PERFORMER:
Co-MVPs in Chris Bosh and Luol Deng combined for 55 points, taking up the slack for an injured Dwyane Wade.
TURNING POINT:
Miami's 12-0 run from the end of the second quarter through the first two minutes of the third quarter pushed the Heat lead to 57-44. Miami never looked back.
INJURY REPORT:
Kings –- F Rudy Gay (left knee sprain), F Carl Landry (right wrist sprain). G Ramon Sessions (low back strain) and F Eric Moreland (left shoulder labral tear) were out. F Omri Casspi (left knee bone contusion) was questionable yet played.
Heat -- G Dwyane Wade (right hamstring) and F Josh McRoberts (right meniscus surgery) were out.
WHAT'S NEXT:
The Kings host the Clippers in the second of a back-to-back and the finale of a six-game homestand on Saturday.
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