'Kings u are a fluke team': De'Aaron Fox and Co. catch generational flak after Kevin Durant's Suns overcome 99.9% loss probability

De'Aaron Fox and the Sacramento Kings were ahead 109-87 with less than nine minutes in the fourth quarter against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns. Sacramento had a 99.9% chance of winning the game at that point. "KD" and his teammates, however, refused to quit and launched a blistering 32-8 rally to win 119-117.

The Kings had the upper hand after the first 24 minutes of the game. They led 68-51 before the halftime break and had momentum on their side despite playing on the road. Phoenix, however, dominated Sacramento 68-49 in the second half behind Durant’s near-flawless shooting.

Fans on X, formerly Twitter, promptly reacted to Sacramento’s collapse against the Suns:

“Kings u are a fluke team omg how do u blow the lead up 22”

Kevin Durant was particularly spectacular in the last five minutes. He scored 12 points during that span, outscoring the Kings by himself, 12-4. Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox were responsible for Sacramento's four points during that stretch. The All-Star guard’s nine-foot floater tied the game at 117-117 with 19.0 seconds left in the game.

The Suns, unsurprisingly, went to Durant to close out the game. He melted the clock until he attempted a mid-range jumper with 1.1 seconds left. Fox, however, was called for a shooting foul. The former MVP calmly drained two pressure-packed free throws to give Phoenix a 119-117 lead.

Sacramento still had time to tie to win the game but the Suns did a good job of denying De'Aaron Fox from receiving the ball. Malik Monk got the inbounds pass but missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. The loss was the third straight for the Kings, who fell to 2-3 in their five-game road trip.

Tuesday’s defeat was the second straight game the Kings lost in the dying seconds. On Sunday, Damian Lillard hit a 28-footer to push the Milwaukee Bucks to a 143-142 overtime win.

---

De'Aaron Fox and Kevin Durant will be crucial for their respective teams’ chase for a guaranteed playoff spot

De'Aaron Fox and Co. now own a 23-17 record following the loss on Tuesday to Durant’s Suns. They are still in seventh place, one game ahead of Phoenix (22-18). Both are chasing the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks, both with 24-17 win-loss slates, for the sixth place in the Western Conference.

The sixth spot is coveted by teams as it guarantees an automatic playoff berth. Falling to seventh will mean playing in the unpredictable play-in tournament where upsets could readily happen.

De'Aaron Fox and Kevin Durant have been largely healthy this season. If they stay that way, they will have big roles to play in the Kings and the Suns’ chase for a guaranteed playoff spot.

Both teams can't afford to falter as the Utah Jazz (22-20) and LA Lakers (20-21) remain within striking distance. The Golden State Warriors (18-22) might hit second gear and could overtake them as well.