Tag: DeMarcus Cousins

Kings fall in Chicago 94-87

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Sacramento Kings 94-87 on Saturday night in Chicago. It was a game that featured daunting defense and lacked on solid offense from the opening tip to the final buzzer.

Both teams shot under 40 percent from the field. The Kings hit on 31 of 85 (.365) shots. They converted just 2 of 14 3-point opportunities. The Bulls shot .397 (31 of 78) and were 6 of 20 from beyond the 3-point line. Defense ruled the game.

The Kings out-rebounded the Bulls 55-40. Sacramento swept 19 balls off the glass to just 7 for Chicago. Even though they controlled the rebounding, it was not enough to give the Kings a win.

Sacramento really fell short in the assists category. They had just 12 assists for the game and had only 4 in the first half. Chicago recorded 21 assists.

Once again the Kings committed more turnovers than they had assists. They turned the ball over 16 times versus the Bulls.

Even with those less than spectacular statistics, the Kings were just 3 points down with 29 seconds left in the game. It was a battle of the defenses.

After the game, Kings’ coach Michael Malone said he was proud of how hard his team played and for keeping the game so competitive. He acknowledged there things that could have been down better, but Malone was happy with the way his team battled versus the Bulls.

Isaiah Thomas led all scorers in the game with 26 points. He also 5 assists. DeMarcus Cousins posted another double-double with 25 points and 14 rebounds despite being double-teamed by the Bulls all game.

Rudy Gay had a quiet game with 13 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Gay is drawing the attention of opposing defenses and is having a tough time putting up the kind of numbers he was posting earlier in the season. The Kings need to make some adjustments to allow Gay to be productive on offense.

The Bulls were led by Joakim Noah with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists. He also had 5 blocked shots and 3 steals.

Taj Gibson scored 19 points on just 9 shots. Mike Dunleavy put up 16 points and was 3 of 6 for 3-pointers.

The loss dropped the Kings record to 23-43 for the season. Chicago is now 37-29 and playoff bound in the Eastern Division.

The Kings wrap up the 7 game road trip on Sunday in Minnesota versus the Timberwolves.

Kings lose to Nets 104-89

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

For second consecutive game, the Sacramento Kings committed more turnovers (24) than they had assists (11). For the second consecutive game, the Kings lost. Sacramento lost to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday 104-89.

Another reason the Sacramento loss in Brooklyn was the play of former King Marcus Thornton. Thornton scored 27 points in just 27 minutes of playing time to be the Nets’ leading scorer of the game. More than half of his shots came from “3-point land” where he was 5 for 8 shooting. Every player who is traded wants to play well against his old team. Marcus Thornton was great versus the Kings.

The Nets’ bench outscored the Kings’ bench 59-19. Seven players scored off the bench for Brooklyn led by Thornton.

The Sacramento defense allowed Brooklyn to shoot .532 (41/77) from the field. The Nets shot .480 (12/25) from behind the 3-point line. The one weakness for the Nets was their poor performance from the free throw line (10/16 .625%).

The Kings shot just .444 (36/81) for field goals. They were a dismal 5 for 23 (.217) for 3-point shooting. Sacramento had one of its poorest performances of the season from the free throw line shooting 12 for 21 (.571).

Sacramento outrebounded Brooklyn 53-27, but they trailed the Nets in assists 25-11. The Nets recorded 14 steals to just three for the Kings.

The Kings squandered a great performance by DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins posted a double-double scoring 28 points and pulling down 20 rebounds.

Rudy Gay scored 20 points for the Kings. Isaiah Thomas had a very quiet game scoring just 10 points on 19 shots and hitting on just one of nine 3-point attempts.

Brooklyn outscored the Kings in every quarter except the second when both teams scored 21 points each.

The Kings are now 1-2 on their seven game road trip. Sacramento travelled to Detroit after the game to prepare for a Tuesday night contest with the Pistons. The Kings do not return to Sacramento until March 18 when they will host the Washington Wizards.

 

Timberwolves down the Kings 108-97

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Photo credit: Rocky Widner NBAE/Getty Images

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Sacramento Kings 108-97 on Saturday night. The Kings lost because they played inconsistent defense and did not take care of the basketball.

DeMarcus Cousins returned to the Kings’ lineup after serving his one game suspension on Friday night. Cousins posted his 35th double-double of the season scoring 21 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. Cousins’ outstanding performance was not enough to make up for the lack of defense.

Rudy Gay had two entirely different basketball games. In the first half, Gay scored 22 points to help give his team a 56-53 halftime lead. In the second half, he scored only two points. That lack of scoring by Gay did not help the Kings who struggled especially in the third quarter.

Isaiah Thomas put up 22 points and dished out eight assists. Down the stretch, Thomas played in the backcourt with Ray McCallum (nine points) running the point. The two guards worked well together.

“The big three” (Cousins, Gay and Thomas) were the only Kings to score in double figures.

Kevin Martin was the scoring leader for the Timberwolves with 26 points. Martin’s night was similar to Gay’s as he scored 19 in the first half and just seven points in the second half.

Kevin Love posted 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Love 12 for 14 from the free throw line.

Nikola Pekovic scored 20 points and pulled down nine rebounds. Corey Brewer scored 13 points.

Turnovers killed the Kings on Saturday night. Sacramento turned the ball over 19 times and that resulted in Minnesota scoring 27 points off those turnovers.

The other area that helped the Kings to lose was the lack of scoring in the third quarter. Sacramento was outscored 31-14 in the third period. A team cannot win in the NBA scoring 14 points in a quarter.

Despite the horrible third quarter, the Kings cut the Timberwolves lead to just two points with less than three minutes to play. Turnovers and poor fastbreak decisions allowed the Timberwolves to open up the eventual nine point lead.

After the game when asked why his team lost, Kings Head Coach Michael Malone said, “Turnovers – (we) continue to beat ourselves.” Malone cited inconsistent defense as another major contributor to his team’s loss.

With the win, Minnesota’s record improved to 29-29. The loss dropped the Kings record to 20-39 for the 2013-14 season. Sacramento has now lost three games in a row.

The Kings will have Sunday off and will host the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night.

Kings win big in Denver 109-95

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

As the Sacramento Kings prepared to play the Nuggets in Denver, there were a number of questions that needed to be answered. Would DeMarcus Cousins be able to play after tweaking is hip from carrying Kris Humphries on his back during the entire Boston game on Saturday? How would the play in the second game of a back-to-back in the high altitude and thin air of Denver? How would the Nuggets play with only 10 players available? Would any of this prove to be a factor in determining who won the game?

The Kings were able to overcome a four point halftime deficit by scoring 61 points in the second half to down the Nuggets 109-95. The win gave the Kings a two game winning streak and built momentum for Sacramento as they ready themselves for Houston on Tuesday at home.

DeMarcus Cousins was able to start the game and scored 11 points in nine plus minutes of playing time in the first quarter. After some rest on the bench, Cousins added four points in the second quarter for 15 points in the first half. Cousins did not let up in the second half and finished with 27 points while shooting 50% (8/16) from the field.

Rudy Gay posted a double-double for the Kings as he scored 32 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Isaiah Thomas put up 33 points and added six assist.

The Kings jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter, but the Nuggets started using the fast break and pulled up even 27-27 after one quarter of play.

The Nuggets came out strong in the second quarter. After putting an 8-0 run, Denver was able to up its lead to 13 points before the Kings began to work their way back into the game. Sacramento used five rebounds by the newly acquired Reggie Evans and five quick points from Isaiah Thomas to close the scoring gap. At halftime, the Kings had reduced the Nuggets lead to just four points, 52-48.

The one glaring stat from the first half was Sacramento’s 12 turnovers. Coach Michael Malone has been calling on his team to reduce the turnovers and the points off turnovers.

The Kings came out after halftime ready to play. Sacramento went on an early 10-0 run, and it was off to the races. The Kings would go on to outscore the Nuggets 35-18 in the third quarter. It was the play of the big three – Cousins, Gay and Thomas – that was the key to opening the 17 point third quarter lead. Ben McLemore was not scoring but was hustling on defense and contributing to the game.

Denver played better ball in the fourth quarter as the Kings second unit saw more action, but it was too little, too late. The Nuggets outscored the Kings 25-22 in the fourth to make the final score Sacramento 109 Denver 95.

In the postgame press conference, Kings Head Coach Michael Malone was obviously happy with his team and with the win. The one point of emphasis on the negative side was the 21 points scored off 21 turnovers. Malone pointed out that his team would have to do better versus Houston on Tuesday in Sacramento.

Kings fight off the Celtics 105-98

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings defeated the Boston Celtics 105-98 Saturday night before a sellout crowd of 17,137 at Sleep Train Arena. There were no lead changes in the game and the contest was tied only once. That is not to say it was an easy win for the Kings.

The Celtics came in and played a very physical game and cut the Kings lead to just one point twice in the fourth quarter. After a slow start in the first quarter, Boston did not look like a team who had lost to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Even after shooting a horrible 34% in the first half, the Celtics would not give up.

The battle of the night was the match up of Kris Humphries and DeMarcus Cousins. Humphries just draped himself over Cousins, and the officials allowed him to do so until late in the game. Cousins scored just 13 points and grabbed just seven rebounds. The Kings center played the entire game in a state of controlled frustration with the lack of calls against Humphries.

Rudy Gay and Isaiah Thomas led the way for the Kings. Gay scored 22 points in the game after being held scoreless in the first quarter. Isaiah Thomas recorded a double-double scoring 21 points and dishing out 12 assists. But, the two Kings’ stars did not win the game on their own. Seven Kings scored in double figures versus Boston.

Jeff Green and Kris Humphries led the charge for the Celtics. Green led all scorers in the game with his 29 points. Humphries scored 19 shooting 9 for 15 from the field. Jerryd Bayless added 16 points for Boston off the bench.

The Kings shot very well versus the Celtics. Sacramento shot 52.1% (38 for 73) from the field. They shot 55.6% (5 for 9) from beyond the 3-point line. The Kings also helped themselves from the free throw line hitting 85.7% (24 for 28) of their opportunites. They were out rebounded 42-38 and turned the ball over 18 times to just 14 times for Boston.

The Kings played tough on defense as well. The Celtics shot just 39.1% (34 for 87) from the field. They shot just 28.6% (6 for 21) from 3-point land. Boston was a dismal 66.7% (24 for 36) from the free throw line.

“It was a weird game,” said Kings Head Coach Michael Malone. “We were trying to keep our composure out there. Obviously, we benefitted from Gerald Wallace and their coach thrown out at the end. It gave us a couple of extra free throws. It’s a physical game, and we can’t let people get under our skin and get in the way of what we’re trying to do. We defended at a fairly high level for most of the night, but we put them on the foul line way too many times. Once again, there were 18 turnovers for 19 points – that continues to be a problem for us. It was a great game for Isaiah Thomas – he tied his career high assists and only had four turnovers. We’ll take the win but we have to get a lot better.”

It was the new look Kings that won the game on Saturday night. Ben McLemore played 27 minutes and scored 11 points while shooting 44.4% from the field. Derrick Williams and Carl Landry each scored 10 points in their 24 minutes of playing time. Ray McCallum played 11 minutes as the second unit point guard. Expect to see more of the same over the next 27 games.

Newcomer Reggie Evans was on the bench but did not see any action.

Rajon Rondo was not with the Celtics in Sacramento. The team reported Rondo needed rest.

The Kings have no time to savor their victory. The have to play the second game of a back-to-back on Sunday afternoon in Denver  the against the Nuggets.

Lee, Warriors roll past Kings

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By Joe Hawkes

SACRAMENTO — With the All-Star break a thing of the past, the stretch run towards the playoffs has officially begun.

The Golden State Warriors know that very well.

With center Andrew Bogut sitting out his fifth-straight game with a left shoulder injury, the Warriors needed a late Andre Iguodala three-point play to cruise to a 101-92 victory over the Kings Wednesday night at Sleep Train Arena.

Golden State (32-22), had five players score in double figures, led by David Lee’s 23 points and 11 rebounds. Lee recorded his 17th 20 point/10 rebound game of the season. Klay Thompson (18 points) and Stephen Curry (13 points,) combined to shoot 11-for-28 from the field (2-for-7 from 3-point range).

Iguodala finished with 13 points, Draymond Green scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Jordan Crawford got the bench really rolling with 10 points in nine minutes in the first quarter.

The telling part of the game was how the Warriors passed the ball tremendously with 26 assists and only seven turnovers. Those numbers were instrumental in Golden State holding a 52-5 edge on fast break points. Curry finished with a team-high eight assists.

Isaiah Thomas had 26 points and seven assists, Travis Outlaw finished with 18 points off the bench, and Rudy Gay scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds (four offensive) for Sacramento (18-35), who played without star center DeMarcus Cousins who sat out with a left hip flexor he injured in the Kings’ final game before the All-Star break.

Quincy Acy pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds.

Sacramento erased a 15-point deficit before taking their first lead in the third quarter at 76-75 behind Thomas’s 12 points in the quarter, but Sacramento couldn’t stop Lee and the Warriors in the fourth quarter, with the Warriors out-scoring the Kings 26-16.

As the 3:00 p.m. EST trade deadline looms, both the Warriors and Kings pulled off trades, but the Warriors trade was the biggest to boot.

Sacramento shipped swingman Marcus Thornton to Brooklyn for veteran shooting guard Jason Terry and power forward Reggie Evans early Wednesday, while Golden State waved good-bye to Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks and acquired reliable point guard Steve Blake from the Los Angeles Lakers just before tip-off.

Golden State used their $4 million trade exception that the team received from Denver in the Iguodala deal last summer to absorb Blake’s remaining $4 million salary in the final year of his deal to complete the trade, according to Associated Press. The Warriors are hoping that the acquisition of Blake and Jordan Crawford earlier in the season from Boston, will allow the team to pull back on both Curry and Thompson’s minutes.

In 27 starts for the Lakers, Blake 9.5 points and a career-high 7.6 assists a game this season. Clearly the addition of Blake strengthens the bench, which has clearly been one of the weakest in the league this season.

It’s unclear if Blake will suit up Thursday night when the Warriors play host to the visiting Houston Rockets, who destroyed the Lakers 134-108 at Staples Center Wednesday night.

With the win over Sacramento, Golden State improves to 3-0 over the Kings this season.

Cousins to participate with USA Men’s National Team

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By Charlie O. Mallonee

Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins has been chosen to participate with the USA Men’s National Basketball Team. He is one of 28 players selected to be part of the team’s pool. The 2016 USA Olympic Team will be filled with players from the National Team’s player pool.

 Cousins is having an outstanding season averaging 22.6 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. He has posted 28 double-doubles and had a streak of 15 in a row. That streak was just broken last night in Houston after Cousins rolled his ankle.

“I am humbled by the invitation and opportunity to compete for a spot on Team USA,” Cousins said. “It would be a huge honor for me to represent my country.”

Cousins will have his work cut out for him in order to make the team. The 2014-16 USA Basketball Men’s National Team roster includes: LaMarcus Aldridge, Carmelo Anthony, Bradley Beal, Tyson Chandler, DeMarcus Cousins, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, Kevin Durant, Kenneth Faried, Paul George, Blake Griffin, James Harden, Gordon Hayward, Dwight Howard, Andre Iguodala, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Kyle Korver, David Lee, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, Kevin Love, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Klay Thompson, Russell Westbrook and Deron Williams.

The USA Men’s National team is coached by Duke University’s Mike Krzyzewski. Assisting Krzyzewski will be Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim, Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau and New Orleans head coach Monty Williams.

Kings come up short in Memphis 91-90

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Photo credit: Joe Murphy

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Kings and Grizzlies game on Friday night was decided in the final 1.9 seconds. With Memphis leading 91-90, Rudy Gay and Tayshaun Prince faced off in the top of the key on the Kings’ end of the court for a jump ball. Gay controlled the tip but the Kings could not take control of the ball and the game was over. Sacramento lost to Memphis 91-90.

After the final buzzer sounded, Kings Head Coach Michael Malone went to center court to express his displeasure with the officiating. Malone felt that his team was fouled several times in the final minutes without a whistle being blown. When you lose by one point, a free throw could have changed a loss into a huge victory on the road. Malone left the court obviously unhappy.

The game was a hard fought, physical affair that featured strong defensive performances and some less than spectacular sequences on offense. The largest lead of the night was seven points by the Kings in the fourth quarter. Neither team could take control and run away from their opponent.

The Kings were led by DeMarcus Cousins who of course posted another double-double. Cousins played 39 minutes, scored 22 points and pulled down 17 rebounds. Rudy Gay put up 19 points and handed out three assists in a return to Memphis to face his former team. Isaiah Thomas had an off night scoring just 14 and shooting just five for 14 from the field. Derrick Williams scored 10 points off the bench while Ben McLemore recorded 7 points in one of his more productive outings in some time.

The Grizzlies were led by Mike Conley who seemed to have a response every time the Kings appeared ready to break open the game. Conley scored 25 points and dished out six assists. Marc Gasol was back in the lineup and put up 17 points plus four blocked shots. Courtney Lee added 17 points for Memphis.

The Kings shot just 40.7% (33-81) but shot 45.5% (5-11) for 3 pointers. Memphis shot 46.2% (36-78) from the field and just 35.3% (6-17) from 3 point-land.

Sacramento out-rebounded the Grizzlies 43-37. The glaring stat is turnovers. The Kings turned the ball over 15 times to just 10 turnovers for Memphis. The game was simply too close to have 15 turnovers. One less turnover could have led to a Kings road win.

The good news for the Kings is that they played well enough to win, but that is only a moral victory and we all know what those victories are worth.

The Kings are now 1-2 on this six game road trip. Up next for Sacramento is the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday in OKC. The Thunder beat the Warriors on Friday night 127-121. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 54 points.

The Kings will have their work cut out for them versus the Thunder.

Kings destroy Cavs 124-80

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Photo credit: Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings did something on Sunday that they had not done since December 2012. The Kings won their third game in a row by blowing out the Cleveland Cavaliers 124-80 at Sleep Train Arena. The victory gave Sacramento a 3-2 record on their five game home-stand.

The Kings were led by Isaiah Thomas with 26 points, six assists and 2 steals. After scoring just nine points on Friday against the Magic, Thomas hit the floor on Sunday looking like a man with something to prove. He proved that he is one the best shooting point guards in the association.

Rudy Gay also had a big night. He scored 20 points on just 12 shots. Gay also was three for five for 3-pointers.

DeMarcus Cousins posted another double-double putting up 16 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

The Kings second unit had another strong game. Derrick Williams and Jimmer Fredette scored 13 points each. Ben McLemore added nine points, Travis Outlaw six and Quincy Acy scored five points. The bench scored 49 points total for the Kings.

The Kings had their strongest defensive showing of the year versus Cleveland. After allowing the Cavs to score 32 points in the first quarter, the Kings held them to 18 points in the second, 11 points in the third and 19 points in the fourth quarter. Sacramento outscored Cleveland 65-30 in the second half.

Kings Head Coach Michael Malone was very pleased with his team’s defensive effort. Malone feels his club has bought into the defensive scheme that they need to win in the NBA. “I am happy with the defense.”

Malone also pointed out his team’s rebounding domination against the Cavaliers. The Kings out-rebounded the Cavs 50-32. Malone was especially happy with the rebounding effort of Jason Thompson who recorded 16 rebounds in the game.

After the game Isaiah Thomas said, “We’ve got the momentum for the road trip. If we keep this going, we can be very successful.

The Kings do have their work cut out for them as they must head out on a six game road that begins Tuesday in Indiana versus the very tough Pacers. Sacramento will also play in Minnesota, Memphis, Oklahoma City, New Orleans and Houston on the trip. Winning two out of six and playing great defense would be a very good goal for the Kings.

Coach Malone pointed out that his team cannot be satisfied with winning three in a row. He wants the Kings to play defense on the road.

For now, the Kings can travel to Indiana knowing they have just completed their best home-stand of the season.

Kings stop the Magic 103-83

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Photo credit: Rocky Widner NBAE/Getty Images

By Charlie O. Mallonee

There are games on the NBA schedule that are must win games. On Friday night, the Kings had one of those games as they hosted the 10 and 25 Orlando Magic. The Magic came into the game tired from a long road trip and with a terrible record against the Western Conference. The Kings did what they needed to do and won the game 103-83 for their second consecutive win at home.

The Kings were led by DeMarcus Cousins with another double-double. Cousins put up 24 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, had six assists, three steals and one blocked shot. Rudy Gay scored 22 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for his own double-double. Jason Thompson had a very productive night recording 14 points. Derrick Williams added 14 points off the bench while Jimmer Fredette scored 11 in a reserve role for Sacramento.

The Magic’s leading scorer was Tobias Harris with 16 points. Arron Afflalo had 15 points. Victor Oladipo added 13 while Glen Davis scored 12 and posted 12 rebounds.

The story was really in the numbers for this game. The Kings shot 51.3% (41-80) from the field and 94.7% (18-19) from the free throw line. Orlando’s field goal percentage was 33.3 while they shot 29.6% from beyond the 3-point line. The Kings out rebounded the Magic 54-37.

The game did not start off looking like a Kings victory. Orlando outscored the Kings 24-18 in the first quarter. The Magic shot 50.0% (5-10) from behind the 3-point arc. The Kings did not go to the free throw line one time. It was not a great beginning for Sacramento.

The Kings came alive in the second quarter scoring 28 points to just 16 for the Magic. Sacramento shot 47.6% for field goals while finally getting to the free throw line four times and hitting on all four opportunities. Orlando came back down to earth shooting just 33.3%, but the Magic still hit six of 15 tries from 3-point land. The teams went to halftime with the Kings leading 46-40.

The Kings needed to come out after halftime putting together some point runs, getting physical under basket and creating opportunities from the free throw line. That is exactly what Sacramento did.

The Kings started the third quarter by getting physical. Sacramento had 14 attempts from the charity stripe and made good on 13 of those tries. They also established a solid lead. The Kings led by 17 with 1:37 to go in the period. The Magic put on a five point mini-run to end the quarter but still trailed the Kings 76-64.

The Magic kept trying to comeback in the fourth quarter and cut the Sacramento lead to 10 with 7:22 to go in the game. The Kings then bore down and went on a 12-0 run to open a 22 point lead. Both coaches emptied their benches and Sacramento cruised to a 103-83 victory.

After the game Coach Michael Malone said, “It was unchartered territory for us. It felt good, obviously, to come out here and have the most complete defensive effort that we’ve had. We held them to 83 points and 33% from the field. To get out and score 21 fastbreak points, to play defense, to dominate the glass and the paint was great. I thought our starting lineup was terrific tonight. The 60 points and 30 something rebounds between Rudy Gay, Jason Thompson and DeMarcus Cousins really set the tone for us. I was very impressed with Derrick Williams. That’s two games in a row where he has played very aggressively and with great confidence. I need him to continue doing that.”

Per DeMarcus Cousins the win validated the win over Portland, “We did take steps forward. I still think we kind of started out slow; we could’ve had a better start. The second unit came in and did a great job, really got the game going and we finished the game off strong I believe. We did have a little stretch where we let them make a run but overall I think we did a pretty good job defensively. Offensively we came along during the game but I think we did a great job tonight defensively.”

The Kings record improves to 12-22 overall and 8-13 at home.

Sacramento returns to action on Sunday afternoon when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers at Sleep Train Arena.