Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) tries to shoot against Houston Rockets forward Ryan Anderson (3) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, in Houston. (AP Photo/George Bridges)
The Sacramento Kings who just came off a eight game road trip this was suppose to be an seven game road trip which was long enough it became a eight game trip because they had to slide a make up game that was canceled earlier in the season due to water that seeped onto the hardwood surface in Philadelphia when the hockey ice below melted. It also became the eight game roadie with three back to backs on the schedule. That was tough enough and they had found out they had to do the road trip without Rudy Gay of the Kings because Gay went down with a ruptured Achillies tendon in his left foot.
That right there was enough to depress any team in the NBA. One of the things that distinguishes teams that are in the bottom tier from teams that are in the top tier if you look at the Golden State Warriors that’s a great example for all of our listeners and Kings fans are very familiar with the Warriors because it’s Northern California were fortunate to have two teams up here. We understand for a lot of teams the guys that are playing second unit for the Warriors would be first unit players in other situations.
A poor first half felled the Sacramento Kings in Houston, as they were defeated 105-83 by the Rockets on Tuesday night.
Despite James Harden finishing with just 10 points, the Kings could not stop Ryan Anderson, who led all scorers with 25 points and 11 rebounds, including six 3-pointers. Eric Gordon added 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting.
The Kings could not get anything going offensively, held to just 83 points on 34.9 percent shooting. DeMarcus Cousins had just 16 points and five made field goals.
The second quarter was a particular struggle, when Sacramento scored just 11 points and gave up 25 to Houston. The Rockets led 54-35 at halftime and kept on the gas pedal throughout the second half.
The Kings have now lost three of four games, and consecutive losses to wrap up their eight-game road trip in Philadelphia and Houston.
“We ran out of gas there in the last game against (Philadelphia), but I thought we really ran out of legs tonight,” head coach Dave Joerger said. “We didn’t shoot it well; they are obviously very offensively potent.”
The Kings won five of eight games on the road trip, and will return home to face the Suns on Friday that will kick off a five-game home stand.
DeMarcus Cousins scores two of his 46 points Photo NBAE
by Charlie O. Mallonee
“The road trip from hell” continued in Philadelphia on Monday when the Kings played the 76ers. This was the makeup game for the contest that was postponed on November 30 due to the wet floor from the ice below the hardwood. This game turned a seven-game road trip into the longest road trip of the year – eight games – with three back-to-back sets.
The Kings entered the game with a surprising 3-3 record on the road trip so far. Expectations were high as Philadelphia is also a “Tier 3” team which means they have comparable levels of personnel. Also, big man Joel Embiid who has been playing some great basketball for the Sixers was not available to play on Monday due to a knee contusion.
Even with solid momentum and player personnel advantages it was still an NBA game on the road which automatically favors the home team. The home court advantage played in Philly’s favor Monday night as they squeaked past the Kings 122-119.
The Sixers took advantage of a huge break when DeMarcus Cousins fouled out of the game with 58.5-seconds left in the contest. Cousins has scored 46 points up to that point and was leading the charge to take the lead in the game for Sacramento.
Even with their superstar on the bench, the Kings managed to remain in the fight and had a chance to tie the game with literally one-second to go in the game. With score 122-119 in favor of Philadelphia, the Kings somehow broke Arron Afflalo into the open in the right corner for an open three-point shot that would have tied the game. Unfortunately for the Kings and their fans, the shot hit the rim and did not go in and the win went to Philly (18-29).
Who did what in the game
Kings (19-29)
DeMarcus Cousins scored a game-high 46 points to go with 15 rebounds for his 13th consecutive double-double. Cousins – who was double-teamed the entire game – shot an incredible 20-for-22 from the free throw line
Willie Cauley-Stein had another big game coming off the bench for the Kings. He put up 17 points in 20-minutes on the floor. He shot a very impressive 8-for-10 from the field
Matt Barnes was a major factor on offense for Sacramento on Monday night. Barnes added 16 points hitting 6-of-12 from the floor including four 3-point baskets
Ty Lawson may have to change his name to “the distributor”. Lawson dished out 11 assists working the point for the Kings
Team numbers: 55.4 Field Goal Percentage; 44.8-percent 3-pt Field Goal Shooting (13-of-29); 24-for-29 Field Throws
Dario Saric drives to the basket Photo NBAE
76ers
The Sixers had seven players score in double-figures against the Kings
Robert Covington led Philly in scoring with 23 points and made it a double-double with 10 rebounds
Dario Saric was a key force off the bench for the Sixers as he scored 17 points, dished out six assists and grabbed five rebounds while shooting 8-for-11 from the floor
Former King Nik Stauskas enjoyed a good night versus his former team. The guard hit 6-of-10 field goal attempts including four 3-pointers for a total of 16 points in the game
As a team: Field Goals 54.2-percent; 11-for-31 (35.5-percent) 3-point shooting; 80.8-percent Free Throw Shooting (21-for-26); 32 assists against just 16 turnovers ( the perfect 2-1 ratio)
Up next on the schedule
For the Kings, this nightmare road trip comes an end on Tuesday night in Houston against the Rockets. Houston sports 36-16 record and currently holds down the number three spot in the Western Conference. James Harden and company love to shoot the three, so expect the Rockets to “make it rain” in Houston on Tuesday.
The 76ers head out on the road as they will face the Mavericks in Dallas on Wednesday night.
Cousins drives to the hoop in Charlotte Photo NBAE
by Charlie O. Mallonee
The Sacramento Kings could have easily rolled into Charlotte with their heads hung low after losing a tough game in overtime in Indiana on Friday night. After all, it was the second game of a back-to-back set on the road and no road team wins those games anyway, but that is not what happened on Saturday night.
The Kings came out from the opening tip-off looking like a team that had just finished two days of rest. They ran the court, made crisp passes, looked for the extra pass, sank 3-point baskets and played defense. Literally, the Kings had shaken off the disappointment of losing to the Pacers and were focusing on beating the Hornets.
The Kings did exactly that. They beat the Charlotte Hornets 109-106 on the road. The Hornets came into the game having lost three consecutive games. They desperately were looking for the magic of the home court advantage to work for them and it almost did. What the Hornets did not count on was the new found togetherness that Kings have developed on this road trip that has them playing as a team and not individuals. That makes Sacramento (19-28) a very dangerous opponent.
The Kings have learned how to start games fast and strong. On Saturday, the Kings shot 50-percent from the floor while going 6-for-15 (40-percent) from beyond the 3-point line putting up 52 points on the board in the first half. Sacramento also played tough defense holding the Hornets to 44 points on 42.9-percent shooting. Charlotte hit just 3-of-18 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc which is normally a strong point for them. Their All-Star guard Kemba Walker was limited to six points.
In the third period, the Hornets (23-25) came alive to no one’s surprise. It was Kemba Walker who led the charge scoring 20 of the Hornets 33 points in the quarter. Charlotte shot 66.7-percent from the floor and for 3-pointers. The Charlotte crowd came alive as their team was working their way back into the game. It is also important to note the Kings shot 54.5-percent in the quarter while Cousins and Collison scored 11 points each. Each team scored 33 points in the third period. At the end of 36-minutes, the Kings held an 85-77 lead.
The game took a sudden change of momentum early in the fourth quarter as the Hornets cut the Kings lead to just three points in under just two minutes behind the 3-point shooting of Nicolas Batum and Frank Kaminsky. Sacramento pushed it back to an eight-point lead but then things went downhill.
The Hornets hit five 3-point baskets in the fourth quarter and took the lead in the game with 2:19 remaining on a 3-point field goal by Marvin Williams. The Kings tied the game at 106 each and gained control of the ball with 31-seconds to go in the contest.
Following a Sacramento timeout, the Kings put the ball in the hands of DeMarcus Cousins who drove on the basket from the right wing to make the layup and give his team a two-point lead. With 14-seconds left, the Hornets hopes fell to a 3-point shot by Kaminsky which came up short and was rebounded by Cousins who was fouled. Cousins hit 1-of-2 free throws to give his team the 109-106 victory.
Darren Collison scored 17 points against the Hornets Photo NBAE
Cousins on the win
We’re understanding better – we can win by playing together
(we’re playing) team oriented defense
The “iso” style is out of play
The only way we win game is playing together
Who did what in the game
Kings
DeMarcus Cousins scored a game-high 35 points and pulled down 18 rebounds to record his 12th consecutive double-double game. Cousins also had four assists and seven of his rebounds came on offense which extended possessions
Anthony Tolliver scored 14 points hitting on 4-of-8 shots from long range. Those 3-point baskets seemed crush the Hornets momentum each time. He also grabbed seven rebounds
Willie Cauley-Stein played 14-minutes of impressive basketball against the Hornets. He shot 6-for-7 from the floor for 13 points and made his presence known on the floor
Other key contributors: Darren Collison 17 points, Arron Afflalo 13 points and 4 assists
Team numbers: 51.9-percent Field Goals, 11-for-27 (40.7-percent) 3-pt Field Goals, 27 assists and just 10 turnovers that resulted in just nine Hornet points
Willie Cauley-Stein had a big game for the Kings Photo NBAE
Hornets
Kemba Walker led the Hornets scoring with 26 points (20 in the third quarter). He did not score any points in the fourth quarter. Seven assists
Nicolas Batum put up 19 points that included hitting 3-of-6 for 3-pointers. He also had seven assists
Former Sacramento King Spencer Hawes scored 12 points off the bench and grabbed seven rebounds. He also tried to get DeMarcus Cousins ejected from the game (see below)
Team numbers: 48-percent Field Goals, 32.4-percent 3-pt FGs, 22-for-24 (91.7-percent) from the free throw line
All-Star Kemba Walker scored 20 points in the 3rd quarter Photo NBAE
Dave Joerger’s postgame analysis
Good NBA game – both teams played hard
We’ve been playing much better lately and we showed some resiliency tonight coming back on the second night of a back-to-back
Kemba Walker was fantastic especially in the third quarter
We’re getting better at the little things-taking care of the ball
We had (only) three turnovers in the second half which has been a problem for us. We executed there
Oh no – Tech foul number 13
DeMarcus Cousins and Spencer Hawes were both assessed a technical foul with three minutes to go in the first half of the game. Cousins had just made a layup and was fouled by Hawes. After the foul, there were a few words and very (VERY) minor pushes with one hand from each player. It was really a nothing moment that happens in virtually every NBA game nightly.
Neither player ( and believe me when I say that I am no fan of Hawes ) deserved to be hit with a tech foul. A verbal warning from the referee would have been more than sufficient.
Being the agitator that he is – Hawes kept trying to get under Cousins skin in the second half because a second technical would have meant an automatic ejection. To Cousins credit, he just ignored Hawes.
For Cousins, this is his 13th technical foul of the season. When he reaches 16, it is an automatic one-game suspension with another one-game suspension for each two tech fouls after that. The Kings cannot afford to be without Cousins for one quarter let alone for an entire game.
I would not be surprised to see this technical reversed because it was really too much – too soon for what was happening between the players.
Up next on the schedule
The Kings travel to Philadelphia on Sunday where they will play the Sixers on Monday to make up the game that was postponed on November 30 due to a wet court. The 76ers play the Bulls in Chicago on Sunday. Joel Embiid will not travel to Chicago so there is anticipation he will be available to play against the Kings on Monday. It will be a 4 p.m. tipoff on the West Coast.
The Hornets will head out on the road to play Portland on Tuesday.
Matt Barnes may be headed to New York City to face the music Photo NBAE
by Charlie O. Mallonee
According to multiple sources, Matt Barnes will be surrendering himself to the New York City Police Department in relationship to misdemeanor assault charges stemming from a December altercation at the Avenue Night Club in the city. The melee which also involved Kings center DeMarcus Cousins plus at least two additional acquaintances has been under investigation for almost two months and rumors that Barnes was wanted on misdemeanor charges have been swirling for a while.
Photo: NY Daily News
The alleged incident took place in the early morning hours of December 5 of last year after the Kings had played (and lost to) the Knicks the night before. Supposedly, Barnes became embroiled in an argument with a woman who was his table in the VIP lounge. At some point, the reports are that Barnes began to choke the woman.
According to their accounts of the events, that is when Iasmine Besiso and Myrone Powell – who were seated at the next table – decided it was time to leave. As they were leaving Barnes is supposed to have grabbed Besiso and began to choke her.
Powell stated that when he tried to intervene on Besiso’s behalf, DeMarcus Cousins stepped in and reportedly punched Powell. Besiso and Powell are both claiming to have severe neck damage from the fight. Besiso also claims a head injury and while Powell says he suffered two black eyes in the fight. Both alleged victims are also claiming they have trouble sleeping from nerve damage in their necks.
Alleged victim Myrone Powell Photo taken by his attorney Michael Lamonsoff
Michael Lamonsoff -attorney for Besiso and Powell – says the investigation has taken too long and that his clients have not been kept informed by the authorities about what has been happening with the case.
Barnes is expected to surrender to police sometime early next week. The Kings will travel to Philadelphia on Sunday after playing a game in Charlotte on Saturday night. The team plays the Sixers on Monday night and the Rockets in Houston on Tuesday evening then has the following two days off.
This story was first reported by Rocco Parascandola of the New York Daily News on January 27.
All-Star DeMarcus Cousins attacks the basket Photo NBAE
by Charlie O. Mallonee
The Sacramento Kings had to play overtime for the second consecutive game in three days in Indiana on Friday night against the Pacers. Unfortunately for the Kings, they came up on the short end of the game this time as they lost 115-111.
Sacramento (18-28) is now 1-4 in overtime games this season. Indiana (24-22) is 4-1 when have to play an extra session. Four of their 24 wins have come in overtime. That is not only impressive but it may vital to their seeding come playoff time.
The Kings started the game strong – something they have had trouble doing all season long. Sacramento shot 61.8% in the first half and hit 11-of-16 3-point attempts to take a 64-55 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The second half was not as kind to the Kings. Being on the road came back to haunt Sacramento. They shot just 39.3% in the second half and hit just 1-of-8 3-point shots. The Kings also gave up a 16 lead to the Pacers who came back to tie the game at the end of regulation to force the overtime.
Indiana changed their tactics and began to play very physical in the second half. The Kings did not respond very well to the physical play and were taken out of their game by the Pacers. Paul George also came to life and took over the game for his team scoring 16 points – 14 of those points from the free throw line.
George scored six of the Pacers 11 points in overtime. When needed, the superstars of “the association” always do their best to step up to lead their teams.
The Kings played well for 40 of the 48 minutes in regulation. If they could have added another three to four minutes to that total, they might have been able to avoid overtime and notched another victory.
Joerger’s analysis of the game
Heck of an NBA game
Proud of guys (Joerger is consistent in trying to build his players up)
Ran into a team that has our number right now
Shot just 37.5% in second half
They were on the foul line 28 times in the second half
We got to go on and play the next night in Charlotte tomorrow
Ty Lawson had another big game for the Kings Photo NBAE
Who did what in the game
Kings
Cousins – 26th double-double game 26 points, 13 rebounds five assists
Darren Collison – 26 points, 4-for-6 3’s, five assists, three steals
Ty Lawson – 16 points, 8-of-8 from free throw line, six assists,two 3’s
Arron Afflalo – 15 points, 6-for-9 field goals, three 3-pointers
Team 49.3 FG%, 50% 3-pointers, 77.8 Free Throw %
The stat they would change 19 turnovers that resulted in 25 Pacer points
Darren Collison 26 points versus the Pacers Photo NBAE
Pacers
Paul George – game-high 33 points, 16-for-17 at the free throw line
CJ Miles – 18 points, 6-for-9 from 3-point land, all attempts were 3’s
Team – 48.7 FG%, 35.7% 3-point shooting, 87.9 Free Throw%
Up next on the schedule
For the Kings, the incredible four games in five days schedule continues. They are off to Charlotte for the back end of a back-to-back road set. Charlotte is in seventh-place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 23-24.
Indiana will return to action on Sunday when they will host the Houston Rockets.
DeMarcus Cousins is now a three-time All-Star Photo: NBAE
by Charlie O. Mallonee
Sacramento — The NBA announced the reserve members of the 2017 Western Conference All-Star Team on Thursday and DeMarcus Cousins was named to the squad. This is the third straight season that Cousins has been selected to the All-Star team.
For the Kings star center, this has to be some welcome news in what has been a chaotic, frustrating and often disappointing season. Cousins has had to carry the team at times and now that Rudy Gay has been lost for the year, the big man they call “Boogie” is going to have the burden of carrying the team on his shoulders for the rest of the season. The recognition of his talent and production should serve as some positive motivation for Cousins.
The numbers tell the story of the selection
Cousins is averaging a career-high 28.0 points per game
He has a 44.9 Field Goal %, 36.5 3-point % and a 77.3 Free Throw %
The big man averages 10.3 rebounds per game which means he is averaging a double-double for the season
Add in 4.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks in 34.4 minutes per game and looking at that stat line you can see that an All-Star selection was more than appropriate
Cousins and Russell Westbrook are the only two players in “the association” averaging at least 28 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
Cousins has royal company
Cousins is the first Kings player to be selected to an All-Star team for three consecutive years since Peja Stojakovic was chosen as an All-Star from 2002-2004. He is the sixth player in the Sacramento era of the Kings to named as an All-Star. The other Sacramento Kings to be selected as All-Stars were Mitch Richmond (6), Chris Webber (4) and Peja Stojakovic (3). A total of 23 players have been selected as All-Stars in franchise history which includes teams playing as the Kings and Royals.
Sacramento Kings’ Anthony Tolliver (43) and Matt Barnes (22) defend Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James (23) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017, in Cleveland. The Kings won 116-112. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
By: Eric He
After five consecutive losses, the Kings have notched two straight impressive road wins, beating the Cavaliers, 116-112, in overtime on Wednesday after a win over the Pistons on Monday.
Arron Afflalo knocked down the go-ahead jumper with 17 seconds remaining in overtime to put the Kings ahead, and then LeBron James missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer to seal the game for the Kings.
DeMarcus Cousins, who led all scorers with 28 points and 11 rebounds, tied the game at 104-104 with three seconds left in regulation. The Cavaliers led by five in overtime, but the Kings answered back to pull off an improbable upset of the defending champions. The Kings also trailed by 10 in the fourth quarter, rallying late for the win.
Darren Collison added 23 points for the Kings, who are in the midst of an eight-game road trip and looking to right the ship after a string of losses.
Sacramento was also behind by six at halftime.
“This is our first complete full game of the season,” Cousins said. “Anybody who stepped on the floor played some type of part in this win. We battled. We took some hits, but we came back on our own. ”
In a brutal stretch of eight straight away games which has the Kings playing three back-to-backs, Cousins has stepped up with double-doubles in 10 straight games.
The Kings will play the Pacers on Friday to continue their road trip.
Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins passes the ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, in Auburn Hills, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Sacramento Kings are 17-27 they won on Monday night so it’s one game in a row and their 2-8 in their last ten games. They are 1-2 on the current eight game road trip. This trip is the longest road trip of the season. The Kings are currently 11th in the Western Conference. They’re in a position where some would say just get ready for next year and chose a good player in the lottery.
When you look at that you would be wrong because even with that record and even being that far behind the conference leaders as of today the Kings are a game and half out of eight place which is the final qualifying spot for the playoffs. They’re only a game and half behind Denver who has a record of 18-25 in between them are Portland with a record of 19-27 and New Orleans with a record of 18-27. So if you notice all three teams right there have the same record in the loss column.
Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins drives during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, in Auburn Hills, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
By: Eric He
The Sacramento Kings finally got back in the win column with a 109-104 victory over the Pistons on Monday in Detroit.
Six players finished in double figures, with DeMarcus Cousins’ 22 points and 14 rebounds leading the way. Ty Lawson chipped in 19 points, including a 3-pointer that put the Kings ahead 101-90 midway through the fourth quarter. The Pistons cut the deficit to as low as four with a minute to play, but the Kings were able to hang on and close the game out.
The win is just the Kings’ second win in 10 games as they have fallen out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference. They are also in the midst of an eight-game road trip without Rudy Gay, who is out for the season with a ruptured left Achilles tendon.
The Kings led by three points at halftime and maintained the advantage throughout the second half, fending off comeback attempts by the Pistons. They managed to squeak away with the win despite shooting 48.8 percent compared to 50 percent for the Pistons.
The Pistons also had six players finish in double figures, with Reggie Jackson’s 18 points leading the way.
“Everybody has to step their game up,” Ty Lawson said to the AP on the loss of Gay. “Everybody has been working hard, and now that Rudy went down, we can show what they’ve been working on.”
The Kings’ road trip doesn’t get easier. They face the defending champion Cavaliers on Tuesday at Quicken Loans Arena.
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