Miami's 19-game winning streak against the Western Conference, the longest such streak in the NBA in 40 years, was snapped Friday night in Sacramento.
The Miami Heat went nearly a full calendar year without losing to a Western Conference team, but saw that streak end at the hands of the Sacramento Kings on Friday night. DeMarcus Cousins scored 27 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to lead the Kings to a 108-103 win in overtime at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento.
The Heat had won 19 consecutive games against Western Conference foes, one shy of the NBA record by an Eastern Conference team. The Celtics won 20 straight games against the west in the 1972-73 and 1973-74 seasons. Before Friday night, the last loss for Miami against a Western Conference for was January 14, 2013 against the Jazz.
LeBron James had 33 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to lead Miami, but missed a three-pointer at the end of regulation that would have won the game for the Heat. James said after the game he strained his right groin, per USA Today's Sam Amick, and was unsure whether he would play in a game Saturday against the Blazers. "We'll see how it feels," James said, per Amick.
Isaiah Thomas had 22 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds in the win, and Rudy Gay added 26 points for the Kings (9-19), who overcame a 17-point deficit for their second win in their last 20 games against the Heat.
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