The Miami Heat blew a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter as they lost to the Sacramento Kings and fall to 9th in the Eastern Conference.

After losing his debut as interim head coach, Doug Christie has led the Sacramento Kings to five consecutive wins. The Kings are now tied for tenth place in the Western Conference with an 18-19 record, sitting just two-and-a-half games behind the Los Angeles Lakers for sixth place.

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With Heat star Jimmy Butler serving the second game of his seven-game suspension, the Heat’s defense was suffocating through three quarters. The Heat entered the fourth quarter with a 10-point advantage, limiting the Kings to just 68 points on 38 percent shooting from the field and 6-of-23 (26.1 percent) shooting from three-point range.

The Heat (17-16) and Milwaukee Bucks are tied for fifth in the Eastern Conference. Miami is coming off back-to-back home losses to the Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz as the team sets out on a six-game, 11-day road trip.

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Get the latest Heat vs Kings predictions ahead of Monday's clash. Free NBA picks and predictions for January 7.

DETROIT — Before the Warriors’ game against the Pistons, Steve Kerr told his team that they needed to start winning the individual battles. Basketball is a team sport, but it’s made up of hundreds of micro games within the game. The box-outs, the loose balls, the contested boards, the ability to stay in front of your man.

The Golden State Warriors are facing the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night as they look to reenter the win column. Dropping consecutive games to the Sacramento

The surging Sacramento Kings will attempt to extend their winning streak to six games Friday when they begin a three-game road trip with a matchup against the Boston Celtics.

But combined with a slew of standout showings across the past three days, there’s multiple factors motivating NBA Fantasy Salary Game players to adjust their rosters – the path to fantasy glory continues to twist and turn.