by Charlie O Mallonee

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings lost to the New Orleans Pelicans and the Utah Jazz on Friday and Sunday nights by scores of 101-95 in both games they were in the games all the way but it was very similar in the fourth quarter the opposing teams pulled away. The Kings just didn’t have the opportunity to stay in.

Just based on the play of DeMarcus Cousins on Sunday they looked like they were going to pull that game out and Cousins scored 24 points and he had 20 rebounds and 13 assists a triple double. That was his second triple double of the week because he had a second triple double on Wednesday night against Houston.

The Kings had a chance to ride it back in and make it go and one of the problems with the game and it’s been an ongoing problem for the Kings was a lack of bench production they only have a total of 17 points off the bench. You’ve got to have more bench production along the way if your going to win games.

The Kings also ran into a buzz saw of a starting line up for New Orleans four of the starters scored in double figures and the lowest double figures of that was the Pelicans Quincy Pondexter who scored 18 points. Anthony Davis had 20, Eric Gordon had 21 and Tyreke Evans had 19 for the Pelicans.

Evans doesn’t always go this way a former King was had just one assist shy of having a triple double as well. It was a game where the Kings could have won it. They lost it really in two places, they gave up too many three point shots, they allowed New Orleans to shoot 48 percent from three point land.

This has been an ongoing defensive problem for Sacramento as they’ve been allowing too many three pointers and the Kings did not do too well at the free throw line. This is a team that shot almost 80 percent from the free throw line all season long and they shot just 60 percent at 15-25 in that game.

Charlie O is a beat writer for the Sacramento Kings at http://www.sportsradioservice.com listen to his podcast below