Domantas Sabonis scored a team-high 27 points, DeMar DeRozan scored 13 of his 16 points in a third-quarter breakthrough and the Sacramento Kings ended the Houston Rockets’ hopes of being the West’s top seed in next week’s NBA Cup quarterfinals a 120-111 home win on Tuesday night.

Despite the loss, the Rockets claimed first place in the event’s West Group A with a 3-1 record and secured an automatic spot in the conference’s final four. Since none of the three group winners remained undefeated, a tiebreaker determined the top three and the Rockets ended up between the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder and the third-place Golden State Warriors.

The Rockets host the Warriors in a quarterfinal game next week.

Houston took a 28-19 lead in the final minute of the first quarter. Jabari Smith Jr., Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet scored three points to start.

From there, however, the Kings took over. They scored the last eight points of the second period, got within one halftime break and then took the lead for good with a 42-point third quarter score.

Malik Monk and Keegan Murray each hit two 3-pointers to complement DeRozan’s great quarter and help the hosts take a 96-84 lead in the final period.

The Rockets didn’t get closer than six in the final 12 minutes.

De’Aaron Fox scored 22 points for Sacramento, which won for the first time in its four NBA Cup games. while Monk scored 17 points and a game-high 12 assists.

Sabonis also collected seven rebounds and four assists.

Seven Kings scored in double figures, including Murray and Kevin Huerter with 13 points each and Isaac Jones with 12.

Green went for a game-high 28 points and Alperen Sengun had 24 for Houston, which entered the contest on a three-game winning streak. Sengun also found time for a team-high eight rebounds and six assists.

Tari Eason contributed 16 points, a game-high 12 rebounds and three steals off the bench for the visitors, while VanVleet finished with 13 points.

–Field level media