Photo credit: Issac Balizon

By Charlie O. Mallonee

On Friday night, a NBA team shot 58% from the field, scored 103 points and lost the game. The team was the Sacramento Kings, and their opponents were the reigning world champion Miami Heat. The final score was Miami 122 – Sacramento 103.

No one really expected the Kings to roll into Miami and come out with a win. In fact after losing in Charlotte and being destroyed in Atlanta, no one really knew what to expect from the Kings in South Florida.

The Kings did shoot 58.1% (43-74) versus Miami, but shot just 31.8% (7-22) from 3-point land. Even worse, Sacramento shot a miserable 41.7% (10-24) from the charity stripe. Tack on giving up 70 points in the paint, 22 fast break points and 34 bench points and all of the numbers add up to a loss.

Miami shot 61.4% (51-83) while posting a 43.5% (10-23) mark for 3-pointers. The Heat went 10-14 (71.4%) from the free throw line.

The high point of the night for Sacramento had to be the first quarter which they won 36-33. From there everything went downhill. The Kings gave up 34 points in the second quarter, 31 in the third and 24 in the fourth period. A NBA team cannot give up 30 plus points in three consecutive quarters and expect to do anything but lose.

Individually the Kings were led by DeMarcus Cousins’ game high 27 points. Cousins pulled down eight rebounds, recorded five assists and two steals. He did not have a blocked shot. The Kings managed to block just one Heat shot in the entire 48 minutes of play.

The one real highlight may have been the play of Ben McLemore. McLemore has been struggling as a shooter for the entire month of December. On Friday, the Kings’ rookie shot 8-13 en route to scoring 20 points. He went 4-7 from beyond the 3-point arc.

On the downside for McLemore, he made ESPN Top 10 plays but not in a good way. He tried to stand between LeBron James and the basket. LeBron won going high in the air and put McLemore on his back as King James scored the bucket.

Rudy Gay scored 14 for Sacramento while Isaiah Thomas added 11 points. Thomas made seven assists while Gay was credited with six of his own.

Chris Bosh paced the Heat with 25 points. Dwayne Wade added 20 while “the King” poured in 18.

The best thing that can be said for the Kings is that it is over in Miami and they can put the game in their past. The bad news for the Kings is the Heat will be in Sacramento next Friday.

The Kings will have no time to sit in the corner and lick their wounds. They have to face the Magic in Orlando on Saturday night. It will be the final opportunity to salvage a win on this four game road trip.