by Michael Martinez

photo credit google images Kings PG Darren Collison

SACRAMENTO- The Kings are coming into this season with some fresh new faces, but chemistry, or a lack thereof, seemed to be the key issue during the Kings’ first exhibition game. The lack of chemistry showed as the Kings poor perimeter defense and shot selection allowed the Trail Blazers to take a 21 point lead in the 2nd quarter. Although the Kings were down for most of the game, they were able to pull out an overtime victory on the road, 109-105, led by Darren Collison and Marco Belinelli.

At the end of the first half, the Kings were shooting the ball from behind the three point line at 7% and their overall field goal percentage was 36.6%. Rudy Gay struggled as he could not find his shot tonight. Gay who played tremendously in 3 games against Portland last year, shot 2 for 11 from the field and only scored 4 points. Demarcus Cousins was the only bright spot in the first half as he scored 14 points in the first two quarters and finished the game with 22 points and 7 rebounds in 23 minutes of play. Cousins was not a part of the Kings 4th quarter resurgence as he sat out the 4th quarter. The Kings poor play had them down 56-41 heading into halftime.

The Kings played a much better 3rd quarter as they outscored the Blazers, but the quarter ended with the Kings still down 68-82. The real come back came in the 4th quarter when the Kings outscored the Blazers, 29-15. Darren Collison began the charge as he not only distributed the ball well but he also shot the ball well. Collison finished the game with 21 points, 10 assists and 4 rebounds while shooting 6 for 10 in 36 minutes of play.

Marco Belinelli continued this come back and ultimately helped put the nail in the coffin to lead the Kings to victory. He shot extremely well, especially in the 4th quarter and the overtime period. Belinelli went 12/18 from the field, scoring 32 points and added 4 assists and 3 rebounds. Belinelli’s smooth shooting is a good sign for the Kings who acquired him in the offseason.

The Kings will take on the Phoenix Suns this Wednesday where hopefully they can fix the holes in their defense and get some better ball movement in order to take better shots. Collison and Belinelli had great games and it will be interesting to see who will get the start in Wednesday’s game. Although the Kings struggled most of the game, the come back victory is a good sign that they continue to compete to the end.