Last-second defense secures Hawks’ win over Kings

Dyson Daniels knocked the ball away from a red-hot De’Aaron Fox just before the buzzer to give the Atlanta Hawks a 109-108 victory over the host Sacramento Kings on Monday night.

De’Andre Hunter scored 24 points to pace the Hawks, who won for the third time in their last four games.

Fox scored 28 points to raise his total to 137 in three games and was chasing a game-winning shot when he operated to the left of the frame. Daniels got his hand in and knocked the ball away as Fox was about to shoot.

Daniels collected the ball and passed it to Trae Young and time expired.

Keon Ellis set career highs of 33 points and nine 3-pointers for Sacramento. Trey Lyles added 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Zaccharie Risacher scored 18 points for Atlanta. Clint Capela had 14 points and 14 rebounds, and Daniels had 14 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots.

Young recorded 19 assists, one shy of a career high, but had just seven points on 1-of-7 shooting.

Sacramento played without DeMar DeRozan (back), Malik Monk (ankle) and Domantas Sabonis (back).

Atlanta shot 47 percent from the field, including 16 of 38 from 3-point range.

The Kings shot 43.5 percent and were 20 of 46 from behind the arc. Fox scored a franchise-record 60 points and then 49 over the final two games.

A 3-pointer by Ellis gave the Kings an 85-77 advantage with five minutes left in the third quarter.

Hunter’s trey capped a 9-3 push that moved Atlanta within 88-86 with 2:21 left.

Sacramento led 93-89 entering the final stanza, but the Hawks later used a 10-2 run to hold a 106-101 lead with 3:21 left.

Ellis made two free throws with 49.4 seconds left as the Kings pulled within 109-108 before the final sequence.

Ellis scored 18 points on six 3-pointers in the first half to help the Kings hold a 66-64 halftime lead. Fox had 14 in the half for Sacramento, while Hunter had 13 for the Hawks.

The Kings missed 11 of their first 13 shots of the game and the Hawks used a 17-2 surge to take a 22-6 advantage with less than seven minutes left in the opening period.

Sacramento rallied back to 32-31 at the end of the quarter. Ellis then sank four treys in less than two minutes as the Kings took a 46-37 lead with 8:46 left in the period.

–Field-level media