Tag: Ben McLemore

Kings defeat Lakers, 118-115, in Kobe’s Sacramento Farewell

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credit Google Images

SACRAMENTO- Nostalgia was in the air at Sleep Train Arena tonight. The Lakers and Kings played a game that brought everyone back to the memories of what was once the NBA’s best rivalry. Kobe Bryant was vintage, taking us back into a time machine as well in his final game in Sacramento. The crowd got loud, the Beat LA chants surfaced and the game came down to the wire. But that same nostalgia should have never been as the Kings let a 27-point lead dwindle in a matter of minutes. Luckily for the Kings their lead was just enough as the team sent off Bryant with a loss in his final game in Sacramento, 118-115, in a tale of two halves.

The Kings came out of the gate with great ball movement and shot the ball with precision while playing with great tempo. The team was able to get off to a hot start, going on a 19-4 run before the Lakers took a timeout to try and stop the bleeding. The Kings pushed the ball up court well, totaling 11 fast break points. The ball was continuously moved throughout the quarter and the Kings dropped 11 assists while turning the ball over just 2 times. The Kings biggest lead of the quarter was 21 when they went up 25-4 over Los Angeles. The Lakers tried to find some sort of offense, but the Kings looked better on defense only allowing the Lakers to shoot 40% from the field. The Kings shot 60% from the field, 15-25. DeMarcus Cousins continued his recent dominance with 12 points, 3-6 from the field, with 2 of those field goals coming from behind the arc. Cousins also grabbed 5 rebounds while going 4-4 from the charity stripe. Rajon Rondo finished the quarter with 5 dimes and Quincy Acy was a nice spark with 7 points as he started the game for the Kings. Ben McLemore did a nice job of getting to the hoop as he finished with 8 points. Great overall team play put the Kings on top of the Lakers, 38-21, after the first quarter.

The second quarter featured much of the same for Sacramento, although the Lakers played a bit better cutting the Kings lead to 14 early in the quarter. The Kings found a way to answer right back, however, as the team was able to sustain. Cousins was an efficient scorer, adding 10 more points in the second, 3-3 from the field and 4-5 from the free throw line. Cousins totaled 22 points for the game high, adding 6 boards. The Kings shot the ball 59.1% for the half while only turning the ball over 3 times in the quarter, for a total of 5 at the half. Bryant made his presence felt with 18 points in the half on 7-12 shooting. The Kings used their dominance in the paint to keep the lead after 2 quarters, 69-48.

Up by 21 heading into the 3rd, the game was the Kings to lose. The team still found a way to hold a big lead through half of the 3rd quarter, going up by 27 at one point. Rondo still found a way to dish the ball out and Acy benefitted from it.  Rondo also had a break out pass to Rudy Gay for a big hammer dunk in the quarter. But Cousins picked up a 5th with 5:48 remaining and that really hurt the Kings. The Lakers slowly cut down the Kings lead, Bryant totaled 10 points in the quarter, and finished the night with 28 points. Acy scored 11 points in the quarter and finished the 3rd with 18 points. D’Angelo Russell had a good quarter and finished with 16 points through 3. The Kings were still able to keep their shooting percentage up high at 58.6% and held the lead, 102-86.

The 4th quarter went as horrible as the Kings could possibly imagine. The young Lakers team played without Bryant for the 4th and they attacked the Kings defense. D’Angelo Russell scored 11 points and Jordan Clarkson added 12. The two young guards tore up the Kings defense while the Kings could not find a way to score. The Kings watched their lead completely disappear, as the Lakers went on a 24-3 run to take the lead, 109-108. The game soon became back and forth, with Sleep Train getting extremely loud. Gay took an alley oop from Rondo to put the Kings up late, but the Lakers came right back. The Lakers tried to foul rondo, who split a pair of free throws. Then Cousins was fouled and split a pair of free throws, the Lakers were up 115-114. . The Kings took the lead with 21.7 seconds remaining on a tear drop lay-up from Rondo. On the next passion, Cousins caused Clarkson to turn the ball over as the Kings were up by 1 and then drew a foul. Cousins made both free throws. As the Kings were up 118-115, Lou Williams took a 3 pointer in the final seconds and missed it. The crowd breathed a sigh of relief as the Kings were outscored 29-16 in the quarter, but pulled out the victory.

The Lakers shot the ball 55% for the quarter and finished shooting 54.7%. In the 4th, the Kings shot the ball at 40%. Cousins finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists. Rondo finished with 9 points and 12 assists. Acy was a great spark for the Kings, finishing the night with 18 points. The Kings finished the game in sloppy fashion and ended the night with 15 turnovers. Their dominance in the paint did prevail, 64 points on the night. The Kings are now 10-3 when shooting over 50% with a 55.3 shooting percentage on the night. Russell scored 27 for the Lakers as he looks to be the new Kings killer and Williams added 20. The Kings barely squeaked out a win and Coach George Karl was not too pleased with his team afterwards.

After answering a few questions, Karl walked out of the media room.

After the game, Bryant reminisced on his time in Sacramento and about the applause from the fans.

“It was great. It’s a sign of respect, even though we’ve been enemies for years…” said Bryant.

Bryant also had high praise for Cousins who finished 1 point shy of 30. Cousins would have finished his fourth consecutive game with 30+ plus points had he made one more free throw or field goal.

Although the Kings won, there was little satisfaction.

Coach Karl said “Dallas was a good loss, tonight was a bad win..”

Boogie agreed.  “I feel the loss against Dallas was better than this win against the Lakers,” said Cousins.

The Kings almost gave away a huge lead and need to find a way to close out games while not playing to the level of opponents who are much worse than them. The Kings will take on the Warriors at home this Saturday and if the team hopes to stand a chance, they will need to play like they did in the first half, while closing out the second half.

Santa comes early: Kings hold on to defeat Pacers, 108-106.

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credit Google Images

After breaking down in the 4th quarter against the Washington Wizards this past Monday, the Kings looked to go .500 on their 4 game road trip. The Kings looked solid in the first half, but a dismal 3rd quarter performance by the team pushed momentum into the Indiana Pacers favor. The 4th quarter turned out to be a doozy and the Kings were able to close out the game, proving they are slowly figuring out how to finish albeit in ugly fashion. Although the Kings were a bit careless with the ball, the Kings picked up the win over the Pacers, 108-106. The Kings passed the ball well, out rebounded the Pacers and scored in the paint at will to pick up the victory.

With the 1st quarter underway, The Kings started the scoring with Rajon Rondo getting the ball inside to DeMarcus Cousins for a nice catch and finish. The team was a bit sloppy early on and that led to the Pacers going on a 10-4 run to start the game. The Kings regained the momentum, coming out of the time out and Rondo had a terrific quarter passing the ball. Rondo totaled 8 assists in the quarter and scored 9 points on 4-6 shooting. Rondo highlighted the quarter as he through a smooth bounce pass between 3 Pacers defenders to Ben McLemore for a lay up.  There was a scary moment in the quarter when Cousins fell on top of McLemore on the defensive end after contesting a shot, but both players continued to play. Rondo also had a sweet assist to Collison on a fast break opportunity. Rondo was the high scorer for the team who went 14-25 from the field, shooting 56%. The high percentage came off of 28 points in the paint to the Pacers 6. The Pacers stayed in the game thanks to George Hill who shot 4-6 from the field, 3-4 from 3 point range and totaled 11 points for the quarter high. The Kings did outscored the Pacers, 30-27, in the first quarter with Rondo filling up the stat sheet early on.

The 2nd quarter got underway with Marco Belinelli hitting a jumper. Darren Collison followed it up with a jumper of his own and Omri Casspi nailed a 3 pointer as the Kings went up by 8 early in the quarter. The Kings started doing a much better job on the defensive end by holding the Pacers to a shooting percentage of 34.8% and Collison had a terrific quarter off the bench. The Kings guard put up 13 points on 6-7 shooting. The guard finished the half with 15 points, 7-9 from the field, adding 2 assists. The Kings continued crashing the boards hard, with 18 rebounds in the quarter and 31 in the half. Big Cous attacked the hoop hard and went 5-6 from the charity strip, 3-6 from the field and had 11 points in the 2nd, 18 for the half with 12 rebounds. Rondo also had a double-double at the half, 11 points and 10 assists. After Cousins was called for a blocking foul which appeared to be a charge, Coach George Karl was visibly frustrated. Karl did not blow his top off until he saw Rudy Gay get sandwiched between two Pacers and not get a foul call. Karl picked up a technical foul but the tech was justifiable. The officiating was poor in the quarter and for most of the game. With great passing and ball movement, 16 assists in the half, the Kings were able to score with ease on the offensive end. With the first half over, the Kings led the Pacers by 15, 64-49.

After an awesome 2nd quarter and good first half, the Kings wanted to keep their offense flowing; however the Pacers seemed to find the Kings juju. The Kings played very poorly and only scored 20 points in the quarter. The Pacers got off to a 7-0 run to start the quarter. The Kings played very sloppy, turning the ball over 7 times and the Pacers took advantage. The Pacers scored 14 points off those turnovers. The team defense was being broken down and the Pacers got plenty of good looks leading to a 16-5 run in less than 4 minutes of play. After scoring in the paint with ease, the Kings lost control of the ball and only scored 12 points in the paint. Their defense suffered from their poor offense and the 3rd was incredibly forgettable for the team, although they shot 50%. The Pacers scored 33 in the quarter on 13-22 shooting. Rudy Gay had a team high in the quarter with 7 points, 15 in all 3. Rondo added 4 assists in the quarter, 13 points and 14 assists in the first 3 quarters but also 7 turnovers. Cousins had 23 points with 14 rebounds and Collison totaled 19. Luckily for the Kings, they out rebounded the Pacers, 40-29, and that helped them hold a 2 point lead to end the quarter. Monte Ellis and Hill helped cut the score in the quarter, with 17 and 18 points respectively through the 3 quarters. After 36 minutes the Kings stayed up, 84-82, over the Pacers after leading by 15 at the half.

After letting the Pacers get back into a game that the Kings thought they could easily win, the 4th quarter would be extremely important. Seth Curry started the quarter for Rondo and he gave a great defensive spark. On one defensive possession, Curry knocked the ball loose but came up short and swiped it away the second time. The steal led to Casspi picking it up, tossing it to Collison up ahead who got it back to Casspi for an alley-oop after Casspi filled the middle lane really well. The Kings started to get a little sloppy with the ball again and their turnovers helped the Pacers keep it close. CJ Miles hit a 3 in the quarter to cut the lead to 1, but Collison answered with a 3 of his own. The Kings left a lot of Pacers players open on defensive possessions including Ellis who hit a 3 pointer to give the Pacers their first lead since the 1st quarter. The Pacers went up by 2 but Gay came down the floor to hit a jumper of his own. Cousins then got to the line to give the Kings a 2 point lead with a minute left. The game really came down to the wire, but Paul George’s struggles helped the Kings close it out. George missed a shot that gave the Kings a chance to go up by 2 possessions, however the team could not capitalize. With 8 seconds left to play, the Pacers drew up a play to get the ball in George’s hands. George got a decent look, contested by Gay, that did not fall. The Kings prevailed over the Pacers, 108-106.  Casspi had a good 4th with 9 points in the quarter and the Kings shot well once again, 55.6%, 10-18 from the field. The team continued assisting the ball and finding a way to crash the boards as well to pull out a much needed victory.

The Kings 3 point shooting was non-existent in the game, 4-23 behind the arc, but the team found a way to win in big part to their passing and attacking of the rim. The team finished with 64 points in the paint, 49 rebounds and 28 assists. Collision was a huge boost off the bench with 24 points and 5 assists as he used his explosiveness to get good looks. Cousins had a tremendous game, 25 points and 16 rebounds as he helped the Kings on the glass. Gay finished with 17 points and Casspi added a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Rondo did not score in the 4th, finishing with 13 points but totaled 16 assists. Cousins and Rondo’s double-doubles were both their 14th of the season. The Kings finished with a 51.7% shooting percentage which is pretty impressive given they missed 19 three point attempts. The team closed out a game that should not have been close but the turnovers kept the Pacers in it.

As the night concluded, Rondo was the fastest player in the Sacramento era to reach 300 assists. Cousins is looking more like his early season self as he keeps his season scoring around 24-25 points per game. Big Cous has been dominant in the paint and the Kings are doing a great job of exploiting that on other teams. The Kings have dominated the paint against their opponents all season and Rondo’s elite passing ability has made them a huge offensive threat. The Kings need to take care of the ball more and close out on defenders as they have continuously given wide open shots to their opponents. The Kings gave fans an early Christmas present with the victory, even though they also almost gave everyone a heart attack as well. The Kings are now 12-17 and will take on the 11-20 Portland Trailblazers at home. For Christmas, all Kings fans want is for the team to continue winning and find their way into a playoff spot. Happy Holidays!

 

 

Kings beat Toronto on the road 104-94

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
NBA: Sacramento Kings at Toronto Raptors
Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

by Charlie O. Mallonee

In projecting the Kings possible wins and losses on the current four-game road trip, the team at Sports Radio Service had the game versus the Raptors solidly in the loss column. It appears the Kings did not read our projections.

On Sunday night in Toronto, the Kings led wire-to-wire beating the Raptors 104-94. The victory also gave Sacramento a series sweep over Toronto (2-0) for the 2015-16 season.

The Kings used a 17-2 first quarter run to take a commanding 37-18 lead after the first quarter. For that first 12 minutes, Sacramento looked like a championship basketball team.

In the second quarter, things did not go the Kings way. The offense fell off and the Raptors came alive outscoring the Kings 30-18. Coach George Karl felt the referee’s whistles were very tough on his team in the quarter.

Sacramento took a 55-48 lead to the locker room at halftime.

The contest became more of possession game rather than a fast paced game in the second half. The Kings continued to hold their lead using strong defense when the offense was lacking.

The Kings received a big break in the third quarter when the Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry was ejected from the game. Lowry fouled DeMarcus Cousins on a defensive rebound and Lowry disputed the call. After receiving his first technical foul, Lowry continued to argue with the official. Finally, the referee had enough and he issued the second technical foul which meant Lowry was automatically ejected from contest.

The Raptors were not able to overcome the loss of Lowry and the Kings strong play on both sides of the ball. Sacramento (11-16) defeated Toronto (17-12) 104-94.

Kings

Sacramento used an eight-man rotation in defeating the Raptors. All five of the Kings starters scored in double digits.

Rajon Rondo was magic on the court again. Rondo recorded another double-double scoring 19 points and dishing out 13 assists.

Rudy Gay tied Rondo as the Kings high scorer putting up 19 points as well. He also grabbed nine rebounds and had three steals.

DeMarcus Cousins scored 15 points, pulled down nine rebounds, distributed five assists, blocked four shots and had two steals.

Omri Casspi had another strong game as a starter. Casspi scored 15 points and had 11 rebounds for a double-double game of his own. He shot 6-for-8 from the field while connecting on 3-of-4 three-point attempts.

Ben McLemore added 12 points in his 19 minutes of playing time as a starter.

Marco Belinelli (6), Kosta Kufos (7) and Darren Collison (11) had a productive night coming off the bench for the Kings.

Sacramento shot 52.6-percent (40-for-76) from the floor for the game. The hit on 9-of-21 (42.9-percent) of their 3-point shots.

The Kings recorded 26 assists and had just 15 turnovers.

Up next

The Kings will face the Washington Wizards on Monday night in Washington, D.C.

 

 

3 C’s help Kings pick up win, 107-97, over Rockets

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credit Google Images

SACRAMENTO- The Kings came in to the night knowing they would be  missing Rajon Rondo. Rondo was suspended for Tuesday night’s game after saying a derogatory term toward referee Bill Kennedy. Coming into the game, the Kings knew they were going to be missing offensive help and ball movement. Without Rondo, point guard Darren Collison got the start and he showed up big time. Along with DeMarcus Cousins who has been solid as of late and Omri Casspi who has stepped up big since Willie Cauley-Stein’s injury. Rudy Gay helped  the Kings on the offensive end as well and the Kings did a better job on defense while continuing to move the ball and score in the paint. The Kings (9-15) defeated the Houston Rockets (12-13), 107-97, for their third straight win at Sleep Train Arena.

As the game got underway, the Kings got out to an early lead after an 11-2 run. Collision showed off his passing ability with 4 assists in that short period of time. After the quick start the Kings slowed down a bit and the Rockets got ahead of the Kings. Cousins picked up a technical in the quarter and it was a back and forth shootout. The score at the end of the first was a 31-31 tie. Cousins put up 12 points on 3/7 from the field with 2 threes and added 4 rebounds. Cousins also picked up a technical. Gay added 7 points on 3/4 shooting. The team shot 50% from the field and scored 16 points in the paint.

The scoring in the 2nd quarter started with Casspi hitting a 3 pointer. Early on George Karl picked up a technical. The Kings did a good job of passing and pushing the ball. Collision hit Casspi on an alley-oop on a fast break. Collision had 9 assists in 11 minutes. Both teams were a little carless with the ball as they had 8 turnovers each in the 2nd and 14 for the Rockets and 13 turnovers for the Kings. Casspi came around scoring 8 points on 3/3 shooting. Collision put up 7 in the 2nd quarter, the only points he scored in the half. Cousins had a game high, 17 points on 4/10 shooting. James Harden had a team high 10 points. The Kings shot 48.8% for the half and scoring 30 points for the half in the paint. Dwight Howard picked up a technical with 2 minutes left in the quarter. With they better defense and good passing ability the Kings took the lead heading into the locker room, 57-50.

As the teams head out of the locker room, the Kings were doing a good job of finding the open man. Collison got a wide open 3 pointer at 9:48 the Rockets were forced to take a timeout. Collison and Casspi had another fast break dunk. And Rudy Gay helped on another fast break opportunity with Ben McLemore slamming a huge dunk on another fast break. The Kings issue was turning the ball over, 11 times, in the 3rd quarter. Luckily, the shot the ball at 60% and out rebounded the Rockets, 33-27. Harden tried to keep his team in it with 14 points the 3rd quarter, and 24 points by the end of the quarter. Cousins notched 23 points with 9/12 from the free throw line. Collision had 14 points through 3 quarters. 6-8 shooting, and 11 assists. Casspi scored 17 points. The Kings kept their lead over the Rockets, 82-74 to end the 3rd quarter and at one point had their biggest lead of 16 points in the quarter.

Heading into the last quarter, the Kings were looking to finish minus one of their star players. Marco Belinelli, who struggled all game, got 2 three pointers off to gain some confidence in his shot. He added another 3 pointer, for 9 points in the quarter. Rudy Gay posterized Patrick Beverly with a huge tomahawk slam. He added 5 in the quarter and 17 points for the game with 13 rebounds. He shot well, 6/11 from the field and the Kings shot 50.7% from the field. The Kings held a 15 point lead in the 4th quarter and finished the game, 107-97, to beat the Kings. The team finished with 50 point sin the paint, 47 rebounds and 25 assists. The only down fall was their 29 turnovers.

The 3 C’s helped lead the Kings (10-15) to a well deserved victory against the Rockets (12-14). Collision finished with his first double double of the season scoring 14 points and totaling 13 assists, in place of Rondo who is the league’s leading assists man. Collision finished with a season high in assists as well as rebounds totaling 7. Cousins had  a double double as well with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Casspi scored 19 points on 8/11 shooting from the field with 6 assists. The team did a good job of moving the ball around and getting good shots near the hoop. Harden did finish with 33 points, 10/18 from the field but the Kings put out a better defensive effort.

The Kings will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road this  Friday and will seek revenge after losing to the T-Wolves earlier in the season. With a 3 game winning streak under their belt, the Kings will get back Rondo and look to continue their winning ways.

Kings defeat Jazz, 114-106, to end 3 game losing streak

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credits Google Images

SACRAMENTO- Tonight’s game was interesting to say the least. The Kings offense was tremendous, they did many things well and their big man DeMarcus Cousins redeemed himself after criticizing his recent play. The Kings should have blown the Jazz out of the water, but the team allowed Utah to get way too many second chances points and stay in the game. The Kings lucked out that the Jazz struggled to hit the broad side of a barn for a while and Rajon Rondo’s passing ability plus lights out shooting from the team led them to an odd victory. The Kings defeated the Jazz, 114-106, at Sleep Train Arena backed by a supportive and loud home crowd.

As the game got underway, the Kings caused a bit of worry by turning the ball over in sloppy fashion and letting Jazz point guard Raul Neto drive to the hoop right past the whole team. The worry faded instantly as Ben McLemore hit a 3 pointer and started to capitalize on fast break chances. The team scored 9 fast break points, 4/4 from the field due to a solid defensive effort. The King started the quarter with a 12-2 run. Many of the Kings players did a good job attacking the hoop and the team totaled 20 points in the paint. With a good defensive effort, the Jazz seemed rattled and could not hit any shots. McLemore had a good 1st quarter, totaling 7 points on 3/3 shooting. Rudy Gay had a quarter high with 9 points on 4/5 shooting. The Kings shot 66.7% from the field and the 1st quarter was really good until the very end as the defense got a little relaxed. The Kings had the lead at the end of the 1st, 33-22, with 10 team rebounds and 9 assists and a little bit of help from the Jazz poor shooting, 36.4%.

The 2nd quarter began and the Kings seemed to let off the gas on the defensive end again. The end of the 1st spilled into the 2nd with the Kings giving the Jazz way too many open looks. If it weren’t for the Jazz atrocious shooting, the Kings could have easily been down. At the half, the Jazz were shooting only 37% from the field but 12 of the Jazz 26 points came off of second chance points. The Jazz totaled 8 offensive rebounds in the quarter as the Kings could not find a way to box them out. The Kings shot at 47.4% in the 2nd and finished the half shooting 57.4%. The first quarter really helped keep the Kings ahead as their tough time on defense led to poor offense. The Kings had 0 fast break points for the quarter and they did little to try and attack the hoop. By the end of the half, the Kings still led, 54-48, with Gay and Alec Burks having the halftime high in points with 11. Omri Casspi and DeMarcus Cousins each had 10 points, while Rondo finished the half with 6 points and 8 assists.

Coming out of the break, the Kings looked for some answers with their rebounding. The Jazz came out and struck quickly, only down by 1 early in the 3rd. However, the Kings found some life leading to a 7-0 run. But once again, the Kings let themselves get out rebounded and the Jazz were able to scratch and claw their way back into the game. The Jazz continued to jack up 3’s and their shooting of 50% for the 3rd helped keep them alive. Rondo had a highlight play when he faked a behind the back pass into a dribble to then pass to Gay who finished the fast break with a huge slam, which turned into a 3 point play. The Kings savior was their excellent shooting, 64.7% on the quarter and 59.6% in the game. At this point in the game, the Kings were outrebounded 36-25 and they turned the ball over 6 times in the quarter. The Kings only had 5 turnovers in the first half. The Kings got the ball back in the paint and by putting up 16 points in the paint, they were able to hold the lead, 86-80. Every Kings started was in double figures by the end of the 3rd quarter, with Casspi leading the way with 19 points, 7-12 from the field. Gay had 18, Cousins had 15 with 8 rebounds and Rondo had a double double totaling 13 points and 12 assists.

The 4th quarter started and the Jazz came out firing yet again. With the score 86-84, George Karl called a quick timeout to settle his team down. Marco Belinelli hit a 3 pointer out of the timeout and the Kings began to gain some momentum. A little over halfway through the 4th, the Kings found themselves up by 12 with Gay hitting a triple. Utah, however, kept finding a way to stay in the game by collapsing the Kings defense. Once the Kings defense collapsed in the paint, the Jazz found a wide open man on the perimeter. Luckily for the Kings, Cousins showed up big for the team in the fourth. He cleaned up the offensive end by getting much-needed offensive rebounds. The Kings snagged 7 offensive boards in the quarter and 15 total rebounds to Utah’s total of 8. Boogie put up 8 points in the quarter, 2-4 shootng and 4-6 from the charity stripe. The Kings held the lead and the Jazz fouled Rondo out of desperation, but Rondo went 4-4 on his free throws in consecutive possesions. As time began to tick down, the Jazz started getting second chances again and this caused Cousins to foul out. The Kings were once again sloppy towards the end but by shooting 55.8% for the game, they squeaked out a W. The final score, 114-106, with the Kings ending a 3 game skid.

5 Kings player finished the game in double figures, including Casspi, Gay, Cousins, McLemore, Rondo and Belinelli. Casspi, Cousins and Rondo all had double doubles. Casspi 19 points and 10 rebounds, 7-16 on field goals. Cousins 23 points and 12 rebounds, 8-14 shooting, adding 6 assists. Rondo finished with 17 points and 13 assists. Gay tied Cousins with a game high as he finished with 23 points. McLemore and Belinelli both finished with 10 points. The Kings passed the ball well, finishing with 29 assists and their lights out shooting helped them overcome not being able to rebound the ball. Thankfully, the Jazz did not shoot very well all game. The Kings finished the game with 58 points in the paint, which has been their MO this year.

The Kings have won 5 out of their last 6 home games.

“Consistency and enjoying play fast and you know, to play fast like we do, there’s probably more confidence at home,” said Karl.

The Kings will take on the the New York Knicks at home this upcoming Thursday on TNT as they get their first look at Kristaps Porzingis. The Kings will need to do a better job of rebounding the ball, or Porzingis might be some of the Kings players on a poster. The Kings will look to continue their hot shooting and offense from tonight’s game and they will need to close out on the perimeter to help them get a win on national television. Kings fans will be needed to be loud and proud.

 

 

Failure to launch: Kings lose to Rockets 120-113

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
NBA: Sacramento Kings at Houston Rockets
Photo credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings lost a winnable game in Houston on Saturday night 120-113. It was game that featured some boring play in the first half and uptempo play in the second half. The game turned into a true seesaw battle until the final two minutes of play.

It was a two-point game with 3:11 left to go in the game. DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay were playing with five personal fouls each. Cousins fouled out with 2:14 remaining in the contest. The Rockets responded by hitting 3-point baskets and converting opportunities at the free throw line. In the end, the Kings could only commit fouls and pray for Houston misses which did not happen. The game ended with the Rockets on top 120-113.

The Kings started the game with their 12th different starting lineup of the season due to the loss of Willie Cauley-Stein to injury (dislocated index finger) for the next four to six weeks. Rudy Gay moved to the power forward position and Omri Casspi started at small forward.

Sacramento fell behind quickly in the first quarter shooting an appalling 36.8-percent from the field and going 0-5 for 3-point attempts. The Kings were also hampered by personal fouls. Gay and Cousins both picked two personals in the first period and had spend time on the bench. The Rockets shot just 41.7-percent from the floor but hit on 4-of-12 3-point attemps which helped them establish a 29-16 lead after one quarter of play.

Things turned around for the Kings in the second quarter. Ben McLemore led the attack with 11 points and Omri Casspi added seven points. Sacramento also made 4-of-9 shots from behind the 3-point line. Houston was unable to put together any scoring runs and watched as the Kings outscored them 34-23 in the quarter. The Rockets led the game 52-50 at the half.

Both teams looked like different squads coming out of halftime DeMarcus Cousins had to spend considerable time on the bench after committing his fourth foul. The Kings caught fire shooting 70-percent (14-for-20) from the floor. Rajon Rondo (8), Ben McLemore (6), Kosta Koufos (6) and Darren Collison (5) led the charge for Sacramento. The Rockets shot 58.8-percent behind the scoring of James Harden (10) and Dwight Howard (9). The third quarter ended with the Kings leading the game 85-84.

Kings

Ben McLemore had a breakout game against the Rockets. He scored 19 points hitting on 8-of-14 shots including four successful 3-point attempts. McLemore added nine rebounds, three steals, two assists and one block to his box score. Several times in the flow of the game McLemore was the spark plug that kept the Kings charge going.

Rajon Rondo had another double-double night dishing out 19 assists to go with 13 points. Rondo also recorded four steals. It was the 11th game of the season where Rondo posted 10 or more assists.

Darren Collison came of the bench and scored 18 points in just 21 minutes on the floor. He was an impressive 4-for-6 from 3-point land. Collison also added six assists.

DeMarcus Cousins was hampered by foul trouble the entire game but also just seemed out of sorts throughout the contest. The Kings center scored just 14 points and pulled down 9 rebounds. Cousins shot just 4-for-16 and was 0-for-3 for 3-point attempts.

Rudy Gay also had to deal with foul trouble but scored 15 points. He was 6-for-12 shooting from the floor.

Sacramento had solid team numbers for the game. The Kings shot 46.9-percent (46-for-98) overall and 38.5-percent (10-for-26) from 3-point range. They converted 11 of 13 free throw opportunities.

The Kings out-rebounded the Rockets 47-43. Sacramento won the battle of the paint scoring 56 points to just 36 for Houston.

Sacramento recorded 35 assists and turned the ball over just 13 times.

Houston

James Harden led the Rockets scoring attack with 31 points. Harden shot 6-for-14 from the floor and hit on 5-of-6 3-point attempts. He also had nine assists for Houston.

Dwight Howard had a double-double game scoring 22 points and grabbing 18 rebounds. When the Kings employed the “hack-a-Howard” strategy, Howard responded by making 8-of-14 free throws.

Terrence Jones scored 16 points off the bench to join Trevor Ariza (14) and Patrick Beverley (14) in double figures.

Two stats tell the story of the Houston victory over the Kings. The Rockets were successful on 16-of-34 3-point attempts, and they went 32-for-43 from the free throw line. In the end, it was too many 3-point baskets and too many free throws that caused the Kings to lose the game.

What they said after the game

“It was a frustrating game and the free throws … trying to fight through a tough whistle is … I thought we did a great job. I was proud of how they fought. I was proud of how well we played. We got off to a bad start. I thought our bench came in and gave us a big lift. You know we had foul trouble. Everybody kind of gave us something but we ran out of gas in last four or five minutes,” said Kings head coach George Karl after the game.

When asked to analyze Cousin’s performance, Karl said, “I think his jumper is a little rusty from being out for a little bit. I think the foul trouble bothers me. Inconsistent type of rhythm that comes with not being in your normal routine, normal minutes. You know he’s playing against a pretty damned good center. (Dwight) Howard is a pretty respectful dude.

Up next

The Kings headed right to the airport and flew to Oklahoma City where they will play the Thunder (11-8) on Sunday afternoon. OKC is a tough back-to-back on the road opponent.

The Rockets hit the road and will play the Nets in Brooklyn on Tuesday. Houston will visit Sacramento on December 15.

Kings’ defense leads to loss, 116-109, in offensive shootout against Heat

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by: Michael Martinez

picture credit Google Images

SACRAMENTO-  Coming off a tough loss against the Hawks the night before, the Sacramento Kings (4-8) looked to continue their solid play against the Miami Heat (6-4). After notching another triple-double against the Hawks, his 4th of the season, Rajon Rondo looked to carry the Kings who were without Demarcus Cousins due to a 1 game after a hitting Al Horford in the face with a forearm. Rondo did all he could to lead the Kings and was one rebound shy of another triple-double, but the Kings lack of defensive effort and carelessness with the ball on the offensive end (18 turnovers) cost them the game. The Kings lost to the Heat, 116-109, in Miami at American Airlines Arena.

As the game got underway, the Heat got off to a slow start, while the Kings began to score points in the paint, per usual. As the quarter progressed, Heat big man Hassan Whiteside picked up 2 fouls within 4 minutes, forcing Amar’e Stoudemire to come in. The Kings had no answer for Stoudemire, who put up 10 points in the 1st quarter, shooting 4-5 from the field. The 1st quarter had little offense, but the Heat went on an 8-3 run and a 9-2 run later in the quarter, which gave them the lead. The Kings best offensive player was Rudy Gay who scored 7 points, 3-6, while adding 3 rebounds. Rondo did a good job of pushing the ball into the paint with 4 assists and kicking the ball out to Marco Belinelli who scored 6 points, 2-3 from behind the arc. The Kings collectively shot 52.9%, 9-17, with 10 points in the paint, however with the Heat ending the quarter on a run, they led 25-21 to end the 1st quarter.

Starting off the 2nd quarter, the Heat continued their run from the 1st quarter, making it a 14-2 run. Willie Cauley-Stein had a big block on the Heat rookie Justise Winslow and Belinelli stopped the run after he was fouled behind the 3 point line, sinking all 3 shots from the charity stripe. The Kings were able to flip the script and go on a 8-2 run, however their defense looked slow and lackluster. The Kings allowed the Heat to get into the paint much too often, 20 points in the paint in the 2nd quarter alone and 30 points for the half. Cousins’ presence as a big body in the paint was definitely missed throughout the night. On the offensive end, the Kings scored a little more, however their shooting percentage lowered. Ben McLemore put up 5 points on 2-4 shooting, with a field goal from behind the arc, finishing the game with 17 points on 7-12 shooting. Dwayne Wade was also an issue for the Kings by putting up 9 points in the 2nd quarter alone, 6-12 FG and 13 points for the half. Gay finished with 11 points to end the first half, 5-10 shooting, adding 8 rebounds. With the Heat’s offense getting easy buckets, they continued to hold their lead 56-46 going into the locker room.

The Kings looked to come out of the locker room with a vengeance as they went on a 15-4 scoring run, including the end of the 2nd quarter. After the Heat had seen enough, they wound up going on a run of their own. Whiteside brought unmatched energy and his blocking ability was unreal throughout the 3rd. Dwayne Wade started right where he left off and his shot looked really good. Rondo looked to help the Kings as he distributed the ball extremely well in the paint, especially to Cauley-Stein. Even though the Kings began to falter, Rondo’s play was keeping them in the game as he scored his first points of the quarter in the 3rd. Rondo only scored 4 points in the quarter, but notched 8 assists in the quarter alone. McLemore and Cauley-Stein benefitted from this, both scoring 7 points in the 3rd. The Kings were able to stick around by shooting 61.9% from the field, 66.7% from behind the arc in the 3rd alone, and shooting over 50% for the game. The Heat kept their lead, however, up 82-76 heading in the final 12 minutes of play.

The 4th quarter for the Kings was a lot of clawing and scratching, although at first the Kings let the Heat go up by 16 at one point. The defense was doing a terrible job of keeping defenders in front of them and keeping a hand in shooters’ faces at all times. The momentary lapses on defense crushed the Kings even though they started to come back. Rondo was a huge part of this by adding 10 points in the 4th, with 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Rondo’s vision allowed him to get open looks for Belinelli who put up 10 in the 4th as well. Belinelli finished the game with a team high 23 points, shooting 5-11 from the field, 5-10 from 3 point range. Although the Kings tried to fight their way back into the game, Chris Bosh had himself a solid 4th. Bosh put up 13 points in the 4th, 23 for the game on 8-12 shooting and 11 rebounds to give himself a double-double. Wade finished with a game high 24 points. The Kings and Heat had a back and forth shootout, where both sides kept making three pointers. The Kings comeback attempt was hindered when Gay left early with a left shoulder strain. Rondo’s overall play, 14 points, the NBA’s season best 18 assists, and 9 rebounds was just not enough to get the victory. The absence of defensive stops gave the Heat the win over the Kings, 116-109.

After dropping their 2nd straight game in back to back night’s, the Kings are now 4-9 on the season. Minus Cousins and losing Gay in a close game hurt the Kings chances of defeating Miami. The loss is not one to dwell on completely as Rondo continues to play at an extremely high level and the Kings’ shooting percentage was 51.2% for the game, in part to Belinelli and McLemore’s shooting. With a slow start to the season. McLemore’s confidence looks much higher than it once was. The Kings will take on the Orlando Magic this Saturday and to get their first road win, they will have to take care of the ball and play much better defense.

 

 

Spurs hand Kings 6th straight loss, 106-88, after Sacrameto’s 4th quarter meltdown

Published on by Michael MartinezLeave a comment

by Michael Martinez

picture credit Google Images

SACRAMENTO- On a night where the Kings celebrated women in sports, especially with Becky Hammon and Nancy Lieberman being the first opposing women coaches in NBA history to square off, the Kings looked to end their losing woes. Against one of the deepest teams in the NBA, the Kings knew they would have their hands full. While the Sacramento Kings continue to search for a way to stop their opponents on the defensive end, the San Antonio Spurs capitalized with offensive runs. As the Kings stuck around with the Spurs for the first 3 quarters, they collapsed on every end of the floor in the 4th, even with All Star Demarcus Cousins back in the lineup. Every ounce of hope the Kings had prior to the 4th quarter, was quickly lost when the Spurs outscored, out hustled and out played the Kings in all aspects of the game. The Spurs handed the Kings their 6th straight loss at Sleep Train Arena, defeating the Kings 106-88.

The Kings got their offense going in the 1st with a nice fast break push where Rudy Gay assisted Demarcus Cousins for a big jam. The 1st quarter was more about defense and the team’s willingness to hustle and put forth their best effort. The Kings held the Spurs to a shooting percentage of 37.5% from the field, 9-24. The Kings made sure to pressure the Spurs’ ball handlers at all times and kept a hand in their face. The team also did well crashing the glass, finishing the quarter with 15 rebounds. Most importantly, the Kings pushed the ball and had 14 points in the paint. As they pushed the ball around the perimeter, the team did a good job of getting the ball close to the hoop for easy looks. Cousins struggled early on, but finished the quarter with 8 points, shooting 3-8 from the field, adding 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Rajon Rondo matched Cousins with 8 points as well, shooting 4-4 from the field. Rondo’s jumper looked solid in the first quarter, which was important with Darren Collison inactive. Rondo played the whole quarter and with his efforts, the Kings held a lead over the Spurs 24-23 to end the 1st.

After a great 1st quarter, the Kings hoped to bring the same defensive effort to the 2nd quarter. Both teams started off slow, but Rondo quickly helped the Kings out with his passing ability. Rondo has great vision and he did a nice job of seeing Marco Belinelli coming off screens and anticipating when he would be open. The combination of the two helped the Kings score early on, but when Belinelli started missing the mark, the offense slowed down big time. As the offense slowed, the defensive end began to allow the Spurs to score and the Spurs went on an 8-0 run in the middle of the 2nd. Ben McLemore ended the run by driving to the hoop and scoring on a lay-up. The big blow to the Kings was their defense, allowing the Spurs to shoot 57.1% from the field in the 2nd. The Kings did not do enough to get to the paint and stop the Spurs in the paint. Rondo, who played the entire first half, finished with 8 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Bellineli finished the half with 10 points, 4-7 from the field, 2-2 from behind the arc, with all points coming in the 2nd quarter. Cousins picked up a technical foul towards the end of the quarter and the Kings sloppy 2nd quarter, 5 turnovers, put them down 49-43 to end the first half.

After a disappointing 2nd quarter, the Kings looked to stay close with the Spurs. Gay started the quarter off strong, making all 6 of his points in the first 5 minutes. The Kings did a good job of scoring, but after tying the game at 55, the defense fell apart. Once the score was tied up, the Spurs went on an 11-0 run. The Kings defense was playing poorly, but once Kawhi Leonard came out of the game, the Kings began to find a bit of a rhythm. The Kings went on a 10-3 run late in the 3rd with Cousins getting to the foul line often. Cousins put up 13 points in the 3rd, going 9-12 from the free throw line. He shot 2-6 from the field and added 5 rebounds and 1 assist. To end the quarter, the Kings pushed the ball, playing to their up-tempo offense and were only down 72-69 to end the 3rd.

The Kings looked to make a stand and tried to pull out a win against the Spurs only down by 3. However, for the Kings, they allowed their opponents to score with ease. The Spurs began to pour it on when they went on a 22-0 run. Patty Mills contributed to this run by not only putting up 7 points while adding 6 assists in the 4th alone. Mills finished with 8 assists and 9 points. Omri Casspi was the little offense the Kings had, scoring 9 points on 4-6 shooting with 2 rebounds. All of the Kings star players, Gay, Rondo and Cousins did not do much on either end to help the Kings. With the Kings down, fans began to leave with 6:31 remaining in the game, as they were tired of watching the Kings get outrebounded and out hustled. The Kings’ players began to play selfishly and when the ball movement died down, the Kings did as well. The 4th quarter was the difference in the game as the Kings never found any moment on either end of the court, losing 106-88.

When asked about the 4th quarter, Coach George Karl said “Bad offense, creates bad defense.”

The Kings’ poor shot selection created easy opportunities for the Spurs to score.

In his first game back, Cousins was out of sync with his mid range jumper. Typically Cousins is money from mid range, but being a little rusty he shot 5-20 from the field. Cousins did a good job of getting contact at the rim and shot 11-15 from the charity stripe. Rondo played all 48 minutes and after a good scoring first quarter, he finished with the same 8 points and totaling 6 rebounds and 12 assists. The Kings shot 40.5% from the field for the game and 36.8% from behind the arc. The team was out played in the 4th quarter and hopefully the Kings can find a quick solution.

The solution might not be that easy though, as the Kings seem to have some issues in the locker room. Cousins told reporters that their would be a players only meeting and said “Just to make it clear, I believe in every single person in this room. We just got to stick together.”

Cousins reiterated this idea throughout the post game interview and it will be interesting to see if the Kings can figure it out at tomorrow’s practice.

I asked Gay if the difficultly of their schedule has played a factor in their 6 game losing streak.

“Not having a rhythm completely, and then playing against playoff teams, it doesn’t help,” said Gay.

The Kings will once again be tested by a good team as they take on the Pistons at home this Wednesday. The Kings will need to find an answer on the defensive end of the floor as newly crowned player of the week, Andre Drummond, looks to continue his domination.

Heat burns the Kings 95-83

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
NBAE/Getty Images
NBAE/Getty Images

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento Kings Head Coach Tyrone Corbin summarized the game versus the Miami Heat (18-22) on Friday night in five words, “It was a disappointing loss.”

The Heat, without Dwayne Wade, rode the play of their star forwards Chris Bosh and Luol Deng to a 95-83 runaway victory over the Sacramento Kings (16-23) at Sleep Train Arena.

Bosh led all scorers in the game with 30 points to go with seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and one blocked shot. Bosh was a perfect three for three from beyond the 3-Point arc.

Luol Deng added 25 points for the Heat on just 18 shots. Deng grabbed six rebounds, had four assists, two steals and two blocked shots in his 37-minutes on the floor.

Miami guard Shabazz Napier was the only other Heat player to score in double figures with 12 points. Napier also had five assists, two steals and one blocked shot.

DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings scoring with 17 points but 14 of those points came in the first half. Cousins made it a double-double game pulling down 11 rebounds. One stat that Cousins would like to forget was his eight turnovers.

Ben McLemore (15), Darren Collison (13), Ray McCallum (11) and Derrick Williams (10) all scored in double figures for the Kings. McCallum was a perfect three for three from 3-Point range.

The Breakdown

The opening quarter was really a precursor of what was to come in this game. Miami’s Hassan Whiteside picked up two personal fouls in less than two minutes. The Kings committed three turnovers that led to four Heat points. The Kings controlled the boards (8-4) but committed five turnovers to one for Miami. Sacramento got into early foul trouble as Cousins, Casspi and Thompson all picked up two personals. Tyrone Corbin was forced to go to a two forwards and three guards small line-up. The Heat led the Kings 26-22 after one period.

Miami came out in the second quarter determined to control the pace. With Cousins on the bench, the Heat defense forced the Kings to take high percentage outside shots that were not falling. Cousins returned to the game and scored 10 points all in the paint. The Heat used a 7-0 run at the end of the quarter outscore the Kings 26-22 in the second. Miami shot 55.6-percent (10 for 18) while the Kings shot 38.9-percent (7 for 18). There were no second chance points scored in quarter.

At the half, Miami led Sacramento 52-44.

The Heat opened the third quarter by going on a 5-0 run. Miami then took control of the pace and slowed the tempo down to the way they like to play. The Kings cut the Heat lead to 10 but that was as close to the lead they would come in the second half. Sacramento’s poor shooting (6 for 19, 33.3-percent) allowed Miami to open up a lead of up to 17 points. Corbin even tried going back to his small line-up of two forwards and three guards, but it did not help. Miami outscored the Kings 23-17 and led the game 75-61 after three quarters.

The Kings opened the fourth quarter with a turnover on their first possession which was symbolic of the entire game. Miami played tough defense and controlled the clock preventing the Kings from making a run to get back into the game. Sacramento did outscore Miami 22-20 in the final quarter but it was too little too late. DeMarcus Cousins did not score in the fourth period while Chris Bosh led the Heat with eight points. With 2:04 to go in the game, Coach Corbin cleared the bench and the Heat coasted to their third victory on this five game road trip.

The final score was Miami 95 Sacramento 83.

By the Numbers

Miami shot 47.3-percent (35 for 74) for the game. They were 8 for 17 (47.1-percent) from 3-Point range. The Heat out-rebounded the Kings 38-35. Miami had nine steals and six blocked shots in the game. They turned the ball over 10 times (eight points).

The Kings shot just 42.7-percent (32 for 75) from the field. They actually shot better from beyond the 3-Point arc connecting on seven of 16 attempts (43.8-percent). Sacramento went to the free throw line just 14 times compared to 21 opportunities for Miami. The Kings turned the ball over 15 times and that allowed the Heat to score 17 points.

The Kings outscored the Heat 32 to 28 in the paint. Miami won the battle for second chance points 12-8. The Heat tallied 17 fastbreak points to just seven for the Kings.

In Their Own Words

Kings Head Coach Tyrone Corbin said after the game, “Well it was a disappointing loss. We just couldn’t find our place to generate points. We thought we had a chance at the end of that second quarter … We can’t feel sorry for ourselves because we have another tough opponent (LA Clippers) coming in here tomorrow. Hopefully, we can get some guys back tomorrow, but if not we have to be ready to go.”

Speaking on the pace of the game Corbin commented, “I just thought that we couldn’t create pace all night. We were looking around for someone to bail us out. We can’t afford to do that. This team (Miami) wanted to play at a slow tempo, so we talked about creating pace and pushing the ball down the floor. We ended falling into a trap and playing at a pace that was favorable to the other team.”

When asked about how the Kings can find some consistency DeMarcus Cousins said, “Craziest thing about it is, we know what the problem is. We know we’ve got to be a consistent defensive team and just don’t do it. So that’s something the guys on the floor have to figure out. We have to come together and figure it out – either you want to get it right or you want to continue to have nights like this.”

Game Notes

The Kings are now 10-13 at home and 2-3 on the six-game homestand … Sacramento played without Rudy Gay (knee), Carl Landry (wrist) and Ramon Sessions (back) – all three are considered day-to-day … DeMarcus Cousins’ double-double was his 23rd of the season … Ben McLemore scored in double figures (15 points) for the 27th time this season.

Miami is now 11-10 on the road … they were 3-2 on this five-game road trip … the Heat played without Dwyane Wade for the 10th time this year … this was Chris Bosh’s fifth 30-point game of the season … it was Luol Deng’s sixth 20-point plus game of 2014-15.

Up Next

Sacramento plays the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.

Miami is off until next Tuesday when they will host the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Kings Snap Losing Streak Downing the Lakers 108-101

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

IMG_0897.JPG

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings snapped a five game losing streak and gave Tyrone Corbin his first win as Kings Head Coach by beating the Los Angeles Lakers 108-101 at home on Sunday.

The Kings used a 15-0 run in the third quarter and a strong defensive effort in the second half to come away with the victory.

“(It was) our defense. We did a great job paying attention to details of our game plan in the second half. As a result, they had 20 points and 21 points in that second half,” said Kings Head Coach Tyrone Corbin.

The Lakers shot just 27.3-percent (6 for 22) in final period. Kobe Bryant was just 1 for 7 from the field the fourth.

The Lakers opened up a five point lead in final quarter after the period started with some sloppy play from both sides. The Kings took the lead with 5:34 to go on a Cousins’ tip shot and Sacramento never trailed again. Ben McLemore hit a 23-foot 3-Pointer and followed that up a driving layup that was set up off a blocked shot by Rudy Gay.

A Cousins’ dunk shot with 1:19 to go put the final nail in the Lakers’ coffin.

“The guys are coming together. I can’t say enough about how I respect their effort. After all we’ve been through in the last week and a half here, just coming out and competing tonight,” added Corbin.

The Kings were led by DeMarcus Cousins’ 29 points and 14 rebounds. Rudy Gay scored 24 points and had six assists while Ben McLemore added 23. Darren Collison had a 19 point night.

The Kings shot 48.1-percent (38 for 79) from the field and were 7 for 23 (30.4-percent) from 3-Point range.

The Lakers scoring was led by Nick Young’s 26 points off the bench. Young was 4 for 9 from beyond the 3-Point arc. Kobe Bryant had a 25 point game but shot just 8 for 30 from the field.

As a team the Lakers had just a 37.9-field goal percentage (33 for 87).

The Lakers out rebounded the Kings 47-44.

Sacramento scored 23 points off fast breaks to just 9 for the Lakers.

The Kings took the lead in the game and never relinquished that lead in the first quarter. Sacramento led by as many as 10 points. The Kings shot 54.5-percent (12 for 22) from the field with two 3-point baskets in the period. Darren Collison led the Kings with eight points while Cousins scored six for Sacramento. Kobe Bryant was 2 for 7 in the opening quarter. The Kings led the Lakers 26-23 after one.

The second quarter belonged to the Lakers. Los Angeles took their first lead of the game on a Carlos Boozer layup at the 8:33 mark. The Lakers outscored the Kings 37-26 in the second period. They hit on 5 of 7 3-Point shots to open up their lead. Nick Young scored eight points to lead the Lakers. DeMarcus Cousins scored nine points for the Kings. At halftime, the Lakers led the Kings 60-52.

Game notes:  The rumored trade between the Kings and the Nets appears to have “legs”. Deron Williams would come to Sacramento along with another player in exchange for Darren Collison, Jason Thompson and Derrick Williams. The Kings want the second player from Brooklyn to be center/forward Mason Plumlee. The Nets are balking at giving up the young Plumlee who they see as a star of the future … 5 of the Kings next 7 games are on the road … Sacramento travels to the Bay Area to take on the Warriors on Monday night … the Kings have a back-to-back games at home – on Friday they host the Suns and on Saturday the Knicks will be in Sacramento … the Kings will end the year and start the new year on the road in Brooklyn, Boston, Minnesota and Detroit.