Tag: Rudy Gay

Kings Snap Losing Streak Downing the Lakers 108-101

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

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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.

Parker leads Spurs past Kings 112-104

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spurs 112814

by Charlie O. Mallonee

There were too many 3-Pointers, too much dribble penetration and too much Tony Parker for the Kings on Friday night in San Antonio as the Spurs downed the Kings 112-104.

The Kings entered the game at a great disadvantage with DeMarcus Cousins out due to a virus and with Rudy Gay and Darren Collison playing at less than 100-percent. Gay (Right Achilles Tendinitis) and Collison (Left Quadriceps Contusion/Strain)  had missed the games in Houston and New Orleans.

The lack of Cousins and the lack of defense was the story of why the Kings lost. Without Cousins to fill the lane on defense, the Spurs controlled the paint scoring 56 points in high percentage territory. The Kings allowed San Antonio to shoot 51.2-percent (42 for 82) from the field and 50.0-percent (12 for 24) from beyond the 3-Point arc. Sacramento gave up 35 points to the Spurs in the second quarter.

The Kings tried to make up for their lack of defense by playing offense with reckless abandon. Sacramento shot a 50.7- field goal percentage (38 for 75). They shot a season-high 60.0-percent (6 for 10) from 3-Point land. The Kings were very productive from the free throw line hitting on 22 of 26 (84.6-percent) attempts. Even with those incredible stats, the Kings could not overtake the Spurs.

Rudy Gay lead the Kings with 28 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and one steal. Ryan Hollins scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds as he filled in for Cousins at center. Darren Collison posted 15 points but had just two assists and turned the ball over three times in his 34 minutes on the floor. It was apparent that Collison was not playing at 100-percent.

Ben McLemore came alive for the Kings in the third quarter and finished with 14 points. Carl Landry recorded a double-double coming off the bench with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

“Turnovers and no defense is the reason we lost,” said Kings Head Coach Michael Malone. Malone pointed out that the Spurs connected on 12 3-Pointers mostly off relentless dribble penetration. He also was concerned about the 20 points San Antonio scored off of the Kings’ 15 turnovers. Referring to his team’s lack of defense Malone said, “(I) never know which team is going to show up.”

Malone did mention Ryan Hollins and said he was proud of Hollins’ effort in the game.

Tony Parker lead the attack for San Antonio with 27 points and eight assists. He shot 10 for 17 from the field in his 38 minutes on the floor. Tim Duncan dropped in 18 points along with eight rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots. Kawhi Leonard put up 19 points and was four for six from downtown.

The Kings finished the four game road trip with a record of 2-2. Sacramento now comes home and will play 10 of their next 11 games on their home floor. They have just four games on the road in the month of December.

The Kings will play the Memphis Grizzlies at home in Sacramento on Sunday afternoon. The Kings will be seeking revenge for the stinging 111-110 loss to the Grizzlies back on November 13.

Kings down the T-Wolves 113-101 on the road.

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kings - twolves11-22-14

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings opened a four game road trip with a 113-101 victory over the Timberwolves in the Twin Cities on Saturday night. It was a game that featured two distinctively different Kings teams on the court.

The pregame hype had this slated as a relatively easy road game for the Kings. The T-Wolves have been decimated by injuries early in the season. The only problem for Sacramento was there are no easy games on the road in “the Association”. The Timberwolves proved that by their play in the game.

The Kings came out in the first half playing as if it was going to be an easy game that would not require them to play with intensity. The Wolves played with determination on offense and used a tough zone defense down low to tie up Cousins and to dare the Kings to take outside shots. The Kings hit on just two of 12 3-Point opportunities in the first half. Sacramento turned the ball over 10 times. The lack of defense allowed Minnesota to take a 52-48 lead into the locker room at halftime.

After the game, Ben McLemore said, “We came out not ready to play basketball”. Kings Head Coach Michael Malone indicated he was worried about his team’s attitude before the game started.

“I challenged our guards at halftime,” said Malone. The guards responded. The entire Kings team responded.

Sacramento came out in third quarter ready to play. The Kings outscored the T-Wolves 36-25 in the quarter. The guards stepped up and started hitting outside shots. The defense kept the T-Wolves off balance. Sacramento led 84-77 at the end of three quarters.

The Timberwolves cut the Kings lead to just four points early in the fourth quarter led by some inspired play from rookie forward Andrew Wiggins. Sacramento continued to play tough defense and scored 29 points in the quarter to walkaway with their eighth victory of the season.

DeMarcus Cousins posted another double-double putting up 31 points and pulling down 18 rebounds while being double and triple teamed all game. Ben McLemore put up 22 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in 40 minutes of playing time . McLemore hit on four of nine 3-Point attempts.

Darren Collison scored 19 points to with seven assists and two rebounds. Derrick Williams put up 12 points including a key 3-Point bucket late in the fourth quarter to help preserve the win. Rudy Gay had 14 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Kings.

Sacramento shot 49.4-percent (40 for 81) from the floor. They shot eight for 26 (30.8-percent) from 3-Point land. The Kings hit 25 of 30 (83.3-percent) from the free throw line. They outrebounded the Wolves 50-37. Turnovers were too high with 18 charged to the Kings.

Minnesota was led by rookie Andrew Wiggins who put up a career high 29 points to go with five rebounds, four steals, two assists and one blocked shot. The T-Wolves’ starting five all scored in double figures. The Timberwolves shot just 41.1-percent (37 for 90) from the field.

The Kings will return to action Tuesday night versus the Pelicans in New Orleans.

Kings beat the Spurs 94-91

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Spurs 11-15-14

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings returned home on Saturday night looking to get back into win column after losing two heartbreakers on the road in Dallas and Memphis. The problem for the Kings was their first opponent on this short three game homestand was the defending NBA Champions – the San Antonio Spurs.

The Kings came out and played 48 minutes of tough defense and played four quarters of consistent offense en route to defeating the Spurs 94-91 before a sellout crowd.

The Kings were led on offense by DeMarcus Cousins with 25 points and 10 rebounds. That is not really a surprise. What was surprising was the fact that Cousins played just nine minutes in the first half. He came out of the game with three minutes to play in the first quarter, and he sat the entire second quarter.

After the game, Kings Head Coach Michael said he did not plan to keep Cousins out for the entire quarter but the unit on the floor was playing well and it gave his center a chance to rest. Cousins would need that energy going down the stretch against the Spurs.

Darren Collison took the lead multiple times in the flow of the game. The point guard scored 19 points, dished out five assists, had two steals and grabbed two rebounds in his 39 minutes of playing time, Colllison consistently pushed the pace of the game to keep the Kings playing at a high tempo.

Rudy Gay had a productive night for Sacramento. Gay scored 18 points, had six assists, pulled down three rebounds and added a steal and a blocked shot to his box score. Gay and Collison combined to lead the Kings when Cousins was on the bench.

Omri Casspi had a very productive night for Sacramento. In his 22 minutes on the floor, Casspi scored nine points, recorded five rebounds, a steal and one blocked shot. Casspi’s rebounds seemed to come at just the right moments for the Kings.

Carl Landry played some key minutes with Cousins on the bench. He finished with eight points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and one steal. Landry’s solid play off the bench helped the Kings stay in the game.

In his postgame comments, Michael Malone emphasized his teams outstanding defensive effort. The Kings held the Spurs to just 42.5-percent shooting (34 for 80) and just 29.2-percent (7 for 24) from beyond the 3-point line. Sacramento allowed the Spurs to score just 34 points in the paint.

Manu Ginobili led the Spurs in scoring with 21 points but Sacramento held him to just one 3-pointer (1 for 7) in the game. Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green scored 16 points each. Future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan added 15 points. The Kings held Tony Parker to just 11 points.

On holding Parker to just 11 points Coach Michael Malone said, “Darren Collison and Ramon Sessions – all the guys who were out there did a great job. We had discipline.”

The Kings as a team shot 43.0-percent (37 for 86) from the field. Ironically, the Kings went 0 for 12 from 3-point range. They went to the free throw line just 24 times but hit on 20 of those opportunities (83.3-percent).

On offense, the key for the Kings was their play in the paint. Sacramento scored 58 points in the paint. It is safe to say they dominated the paint.

The Kings also took care of the ball against the Spurs. They committed just nine turnovers in the game; well below their goal of 13 turnovers per game.

In summing up the game Michael Malone said,”It feels great anytime that you can beat the defending champions and protect your homecourt. More importantly for me tonight was the defense. We only shot 43-percent from the field, but the key was that we defended at a high level. We held that team to 91 points and 42-percent from the field. We dominated the paint and only had nine turnovers. If we defend like that, like we did earlier in the year, then I really feel we can beat anyone in the NBA.”

The Kings will back in action on Tuesday night versus the New Orleans Pelicans at Sleep Train Arena.

Kings Surprise the Clips 98-92 in LA

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Clippers 11-2-14

by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings were victorious in their first road game of the season as they beat the Los Angeles Clippers 98-92 at Staples Arena. The Kings relied on strong performances by DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and Darren Collison on offense and tenacious team defense to walk away with the victory on the road in LA.

DeMarcus Cousins was the star of the game for the Kings. Cousins scored 34 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, distributed five assists and blocked three shots in leading his team to the win. It was Cousins’ second double-double of the season. He was dominate in the paint versus two very strong defenders -the Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin.

Rudy Gay had another strong performance to follow up his 40 point game against the Trail Blazers on Friday night. Gay poured in 25 points to go with seven rebounds, six assists, one steal and one blocked shot. He shot 50-percent from the field and made 10 of 11 from the free throw line.

The game was Darren Collison’s first opportunity to face his former team and he showed the Clippers what they lost when they let him walk away in the off-season. Collison scored 14 points, pulled down five rebounds, posted five assists and had one blocked shot in his return to LA.

The Kings shot 50-percent (34 for 68) from the field. They hit on 27 of 33 chances from the free throw line. Sacramento outscored the Clippers 44-34 in the paint.

On defense the Kings held the Clippers 13,5 points under their season average (105.5). LA shot just 37.5-percent (33 for 88) from the field. The Clippers attempted 31 3-point shots but were successful just nine times (29-percent). The Kings outrebounded the Clippers 46 to 35 (+11).

Blake Griffin and former King Spencer Hawes led the Clippers in scoring with 17 points each. Chris Paul added 16 points to go along with 11 assists. J.J. Redick scored 12 points but shot a horrible two for 12 from beyond the 3-point arc. The Clippers’ bench did outscore the Kings’ bench 36 to 18.

The Kings did have a problem with turnovers again in the contest. Sacramento turned the ball over 19 times in the game. The target has to be 10 or less turnovers per game.

The other area of concern for the Kings has to be the lack of scoring production from the two-guard position. That position added just 12 points divided between three players. Head coach Michael Malone did create a different look by using Omri Casspi at shooting guard along with McLemore and Stauskas.

The Kings outscored the Clippers in three of the four quarters. Sacramento scored 28 points to just 18 for Los Angeles in the final period.

The Kings will be back in action on Monday night in Denver versus the Nuggets.

Kings get the No. 8 pick but may trade it

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

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Photo credit: NBAE/Getty

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Last night was the NBA Draft Lottery where dreams are made or dashed by a combination of numbered ping pong balls. If the teams drafted based on their win-loss records alone, the Sacramento Kings would draft seventh. After adding in the lottery factor, the Kings will draft eighth in the 2014 NBA Draft. This is the fifth time the Kings have fallen one spot from its pre-lottery position.

The 2014 draft class is very solid and deep. There will be star quality players available for eighth pick in the draft, but the Kings may never use the pick.

According to a story by Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com, the Kings are going to put their number eight pick on the trading blocking as of today. Per Howard-Cooper, the Kings are looking to add a veteran impact player in exchange for the number eight selection.

The idea of trading the pick is a plausible one. The Kings could use additional veteran talent to reduce the amount of time it will take to become playoff contenders. The addition of Rudy Gay had a major positive impact on the club last season. The addition of an impact small forward or shooting guard would help the Kings improve their win-loss record in 2014-15.

If the Kings choose to keep the pick or unable to find an acceptable trading partner, the mock draft experts think Sacramento will wind up with a power forward or point guard. Gary Parish of cbssports.com believes the Kings will select Arizona power forward Aaron Gordon at number eight. Parrish’s colleague Matt Moore concurs. Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com believes the Kings would select point guard Marcus Smart from Oklahoma. InsideHoops.com sees the Kings selecting power forward Noah Vonleh out of Indiana.

A power forward pick would provide some insurance in case the Kings cannot sign Rudy Gay to a long term deal. A young player could learn much from the veteran Gay.

Choosing a point guard would allow the Kings to keep Isaiah Thomas and use him as a sixth-man off the bench. The Kings could also choose not to resign Thomas and save up to $10-million to use on a small forward or shooting guard.

One thing is for sure. The number eight pick will change the landscape for the Kings’ 2014-15 season.

 

Kings come up short versus Dallas 93-91

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Photo credit: Garrett Ellwood

By Charlie O. Mallonee

Heading into Sunday’s game with the Dallas Mavericks, the Kings had to answer two big questions. First, how would they bounce back after being humiliated by the Warriors 102-69 on Friday night? Second, how would play versus Dallas – a team in a three-way fight for the final two spots in the Western Conference Playoff race?

The Kings did bounce back from Friday night in a big way. Sacramento took Dallas down to the wire but ultimately came up short losing to the Mavericks 93-91.

After the game, Kings Head Coach Michael said, “It’s real simple. We’ve been in a lot of close games this year and we have to find a way to stop beating ourselves.” Malone was frustrated with his team’s rebounding and lack of second-chance points.

The Kings defense held Dallas to just 40.4-percent (36 for 89) shooting for the game but allowed the Mavs to shoot 41.9-percent (13 for 31) from beyond the 3-point line. Dallas hit five of those 3-pointers coming down the stretch in the fourth quarter which propelled them to the win.

The Kings were much improved on the ball handling side. They committed just 13 turnovers and recorded 21 assists. The problem for Sacramento was the 13 turnovers resulted in 21 points for the Mavericks. Dallas scored more than one-half of their points on turnovers and 3-point conversions.

The Kings were led by Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins. Gay was the leading scorer in the game with 32 points, and he added eight assists. Cousins recorded his 49th double-double putting up 28 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Gay and Cousins put the team on their backs and tried to carry them to victory.

Ray McCallum led the Kings on the point for the seventh straight game as Isaiah Thomas was still unavailable on Sunday. McCallum played all but 19-seconds of the game. He scored eight points and added nine assists. McCallum also had four rebounds, three steals and one blocked shot. He turned the ball over just three times.

Travis Outlaw was active all game and hit two key 3-point baskets in the final period to keep the Kings in contention for the win.

As a team the Kings shot 47.4-percent (36 for 76) from the field. They shot just 27.8-percent for 3-pointers. Sacramento shot 70.0-percent (14 for 20) from the free throw line. It was a game where literally one 3-point basket or three additional free throw conversions wins the game for the Kings.

The Mavericks were led by former Warrior Monta Ellis. Ellis scored 23 points off 19 shots, hit two 3-pointers, grabbed four rebounds and recorded four assists. Vince Carter had a productive game scoring 17 points in just 24-minutes of play. Carter was four of nine from 3-point land. Dirk Nowitzki put up 15 points on 17 shots in the game. Jose Calderon added 14 points that included four 3-pointers.

The Mavericks turned the ball over 10 times and allowed just eight points off those turnovers. Dallas out-rebounded the Kings 45-40.

The Mavericks record improves to 47-31 with the victory and has them in seventh place in Western Conference Playoff standings. Dallas now has a two game lead over eighth place Phoenix.

Dallas Head Coach Rick Carlisle said after the game,” We knew it was going to be a dog fight but the good thing is that we stayed together.  Dirk Nowitzki came in and made some big free throws at the end, but they came down and got a returned shot at one point. We’re happy with the win but we need to do much better.”

The Kings have five games remaining in the 2013-14 season and three of them are home games. Up next for the Kings is the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday in Sacramento. The Kings will be trying to avoid the season series sweep as the Thunder have won the previous three meetings. Sacramento will then go on the road to take on the Trail Blazers in Portland on Thursday. The Kings are 1-2 on the season versus the Blazers. Sacramento will then head to Los Angeles to face the Clippers on Saturday before heading home to host the Minnesota Timberwolves next Sunday.

Peja Stojakovic was in the house on Sunday afternoon as the Kings continue to reconnect with the star players from the past.

Mavs squeak past Kings 103-100

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Photo credit: NBAE/Getty Images

By Charlie O. Mallonee

After having been beaten by the Thunder on Friday, the Sacramento Kings had the unenviable task of playing the second half of a back-to-back Saturday night in Dallas against Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks. The Mavs are battling for the final spot in the playoffs in the Western Conference and winning was crucial if they were to stay in the hunt. Dallas did win 103-100, but the Mavs cannot be happy that the game was so close.

The Kings came into the game with just eleven active players and one of those players – Isaiah Thomas – could not play due a thigh contusion. Undermanned and on the road, the Kings should have been easy prey, but it would not turn out that way for Dallas.

Dallas was led by Nowitzki’s 19 points. He shot 50.0-percent from the field and added seven rebounds plus seven assists. Nowitzki was nine of 10 from the free throw line. Monte Ellis put up 17 points and dished out six assists. Samuel Dalembert scored 15 points going seven for eight from the field. Shawn Marion added 14 points.

The Mavs shot 48.6-percent (34 for 70) from the field. They shot just 30.4-percent (7 for 23) from 3-point range. Dallas really helped themselves from the charity stripe as they hit 28 of 35 (80.0-percent) from the free throw line.

The Mavericks also took advantage of the Kings’ turnovers. Dallas scored 25 points off Sacramento’s 18 turnovers.

The Kings field goal percentage was 51.9 (42 for 81) against Dallas. Sacramento shot just 30.0-percent (3 for 10) from beyond the 3-point line. They out-rebounded the Mavericks 47-35. The Kings outscored Dallas 60-38 in the paint.

Rudy Gay led the Kings in scoring with 30 points in 42 minutes on the floor. DeMarcus Cousins put up 17 points but was limited to just 29 minutes of playing time due to foul trouble.

With Isaiah Thomas on the bench, rookie Ray McCallum ran the team from the point for the second consecutive game. McCallum played the entire 48 minutes of the game. He scored 16 points and handed out eight assists. McCallum also had two steals and one blocked shot in the game.

Reggie Evans continues to impress with his 18 rebounds in the contest. He put up six points and had two steals.

The Kings will get a much needed day of rest on Sunday before taking on the Pelicans in New Orleans on Monday. Kings’ head coach Michael Malone indicated that Isaiah Thomas might be available versus the Pelicans.

Kings lose in OKC 94-81

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Photo credit: NBAE/Getty Images

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings kicked off a three-game road trip in Oklahoma City versus the Thunder on Friday night. The outcome was no surprise as the Thunder defeated the Kings 94-81. The win improved Oklahoma City’s home record to improve to 30-7. Sacramento’s road record dropped to 10-26. The Thunder have won seven of their last 10 games. The Kings have lost seven of their last 10 games.

The Thunder were led by Kevin Durant who scored 29 points in just 29 minutes on the floor. Durant was nine for 11 from the field, a perfect eight for eight from the free throw line while recording six assists, two steals and two block shots. Russell Westbrook put up 18 points and Jeremy Lamb added 13 points.  

The Kings leading scorer was Ben McLemore with 18 points. McLemore hit on five of 16 shots from the field, hit three 3-pointers, distributed three assists and recorded two steals. Ray McCallum started at point guard with Isaiah Thomas out for the second straight game. McCallum put up 13 points while dishing out five assists. Both McLemore and McCallum recorded 45 minutes of playing time in the game.

Travis Outlaw had another big night. Outlaw posted 17 points hitting on five of six 3-point shots. Rudy Gay added just seven points in a limited outing of just 21 minutes of playing time. DeMarcus Cousins battled foul trouble and put just four points in 17 minutes on the floor.

The reduced playing time for Gay and Cousins may have also been pre-planned by Kings Coach Michael Malone. This was not a game that the Kings were expected to win. Sacramento plays Dallas on Saturday and the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday. A rested Gay and Cousins could help the Kings pick up a victory in one of those two games.

The Kings shot just 36.5-percent (31 for 85) from the field but shot 50.0-percent (9 for 18) from 3-point range. The Kings shot below average from the free throw line at just 62.5-percent (10 for 16). Sacramento out-rebounded the Thunder 49-38. The Kings recorded 17 assists but turned the ball over 16 times.

The Kings left after the game for Dallas where they will play the Mavericks on Saturday night. The Mavs are 43-30 on the season and are currently in ninth-place in the Western Conference. Dallas is one game behind the Phoenix Suns for the eighth and final playoff spot.

Kings beat up on Bucks 124-107

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Photo credit: NBAE/Getty Images

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings had the unenviable task of going from playing the best team in “the Association”- the Spurs – to having to face the worst team in the league – the Milwaukee Bucks – on Sunday at home. The Kings could have easily come out flat, but they came out ready to play looking for a victory. Sacramento beat Milwaukee 124-107.

The Kings were led by DeMarcus Cousins who posted a double-double scoring 32 points and grabbing 12 rebounds while playing just 29 minutes in the game. Cousins spent the entire fourth quarter on the bench. Isaiah Thomas scored 30 points on just 15 shots that included going three for four from “3-point land”. Thomas also dished out eight assists. Rudy Gay put up 24 points while pulling down eight rebounds and serving up four assists. Ben McLemore scored 15 points including three 3-pointers.

Sacramento shot 51.2-percent from the field and shot 35.0-percent (7 for 20) from beyond the 3-point line. As a team, the Kings recorded 19 assists against just 12 turnovers. The Kings outrebounded the Bucks 44-40.

With a big win and numbers like they posted, you would think Kings Head Coach Michael Malone would have been very happy after the game. You would only be partially right. Coach stated that he is happy with any win in the NBA, but he was unhappy with the 63 points his team gave up in the second half. Up by 40 at one point, Malone was not pleased that he had to consider putting Cousins back in the game if things had continued to get out of hand.

The Kings came out in the first half ready to dominate the lowly Milwaukee Bucks. The Kings took a 70-44 lead into the locker room after 24-minutes of play. DeMarcus Cousins put up 21 points; Rudy Gay added 17 while Ben McLemore posted 11 going four for eight from the field.

The Kings were able to dominate due to their play in the paint. Sacramento scored 28 points down low while allowing the Bucks just 16 in the paint. The Kings also ruled the boards outrebounding Milwaukee 27-20.

The Kings were looking to run the fastbreak in the first half. They added nine points off the break while the Sacramento defense gave up no fastbreak points to the Bucks. The Kings defense held the Bucks to just 34.9-percent (15 for 42) shooting. Sacramento shot 58.1-percent (24 for 43) from the field. The Kings shot 40.0-percent (4 for 10) from beyond the 3-point arc.

Coach Malone was also able to give some extended rest to Cousins, Gay and Thomas. That also meant valuable playing time for Ray McCallum and Travis Outlaw.

The first half also featured two flagrant fouls committed by the Bucks.

Milwaukee started off the third quarter with an 8-0 run. That caused Malone to take a quick timeout. The Bucks started working the paint and scoring on the Kings. The Kings appeared to be flat and distracted. Cousins then scored on a coast to coast bucket and Thomas hit two 3-pointers allowing the Kings to maintain the lead. The Kings hit the century mark with 2:17 left to play in the third quarter. The quarter ended with the Kings leading the Bucks 104-70.

The fourth quarter should have been pure garbage time for the Kings. Instead the Bucks were able to begin to make Malone and the crowd a bit nervous. Sacramento suffered a series of defensive breakdowns that caused Malone to call timeouts to preach defense to his team.

The Kings allowed Milwaukee to shoot 75.0-percent (15 for 20) from the field in the fourth quarter. The Bucks scored 14 of those points in the paint and 10 points on fastbreaks. Milwaukee outscored the Kings 37-20 in the final period. Garbage time or not, that cannot happen when you start the quarter with a 34-point lead. It is part of the process of having to learn how to handle a large lead.

The Kings are off until Wednesday when they will host the New York Knicks in the final game of the four-game home-stand. Sacramento will then head out on a three-game road trip to Oklahoma City, Dallas and New Orleans.