Photo credit: Rocky Widner NBAE/Getty Images

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings faced an almost impossible task on Friday night. They needed to beat the Indiana Pacers without DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay in the lineup. The Kings came out and played hard, played physical and left it all on the court, but in the end, Sacramento came up short 116-111 in overtime.

After the game Kings Head Coach Michael Malone had one simple statement to make about his team, “I’m very proud.”

The Kings backcourt of Marcus Thornton and Isaiah Thomas combined for 80 points. Thornton scored a career high 42 points. Thomas poured in 38 points. They were the only two Kings to score in double figures.

The Pacers starting five all scored in double figures and were led by Paul George with 36 points. Lance Stephenson put up 24 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to record a double-double. David West added 22 points while Roy Hibbert and George Hill scored 10 points each. Hibbert grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double of his own.

The Kings came roaring out the gate scoring 37 points in the first quarter while holding the Pacers to just 26. Sacramento shot 55.6% from the field and hit for five 3-pointers in the period. Marcus Thornton tallied 22 points for the Kings hitting for four from beyond the 3-point arc.

The Kings cooled off in the second quarter scoring just 23 points and shooting just 36.8%, but they held the Pacers to just 24 points. Sacramento played well enough to take a 60-50 lead with them into the locker room at halftime.

The Pacers came out in the third quarter looking determined to put an end to the Kings run and put this game away. Indiana outscored the Kings 29-24. Sacramento maintained an 84-79 lead at the end of the third despite shooting just 8 for 26 (30.8%) from the field. Again, it was Thornton and Thomas combining for 20 points that kept the Kings in the lead.

The Kings really struggled in the fourth quarter as fatigue began to set in. Sacramento scored just 19 points in period led by Marcus Thornton with 12. The Kings shot just 6 for 22 (27.3%) in the fourth. The Pacers shot 9 for 22 (40.9%) and outscore the Kings 24-19.

The back-breaker in the fourth quarter came with 15.1 seconds left in regulation. Paul George put up a 26 foot jumper that was good for three and was fouled. George hit the free throw to make it a four point play and tied the game at 103. The Kings were unable to score and it was off to overtime.

In overtime, there were three lead changes and the Pacers led by as many as five points. The Pacers outscored the Kings 13-8 led by Paul George’s eight points. At the buzzer, it was the Pacers on top 116-111.

“Our guys came out and played their hearts out and they put themselves in a position to win the game. It was a game we should’ve won. I couldn’t be more proud of everyone who played tonight – this shows you a lot about our team,” said Coach Malone.

After being asked if his goal was to come out and take shots, Marcus Thornton said, “Yeah, when you have 43 points sitting on the sideline between Rudy (Gay) and (DeMarcus Cousins) Cuz, somebody had to step up. I took it upon myself to be that guy. It was a great team effort by the whole team.”

Indiana Head Coach Frank Vogel said, “You have to give Sacramento credit for playing a terrific, terrific basketball game. We knew they would be up. We knew they would be loose with their two top scorers out and they were.”

The Kings record falls to 15-27 overall (2-2 in overtime). They are 9-14 at home. It was the 12^th straight home game in which the Kings scored at least 100 points this season.

The Pacers record improves to 34-8 (2-0 in overtime). Indiana is now 13-7 on the road. The Pacers have won six of their last seven games.

The Kings will be back in action on Sunday night versus the Denver Nuggets at Sleep Train Arena.