Starting Line-ups
Kings
- Beno Udrih
- Tyreke Evans
- Francisco Garcia
- Jason Thompson
- DeMarcus Cousins
Reserves: Donté Greene, Samuel Dalembert, Carl Landry, Omri Casspi, Darnell Jackson, Pooh Jeter, Jermaine Taylor.
Inactive: Luther Head.
Hawks
- Mike Bibby
- Joe Johnson
- Josh Smith
- Al Horford
- Jason Collins
Reserves: Jamal Crawford, Mo Evans, Jeff Teague, Josh Powell, Zaza Pachulia, Etan Thomas, Damien Wilkins.
Inactive: Marvin Williams (back) out. Jordan Crawford.
First Quarter Recap
The Kings got sucked into a jump shot competition early and the Hawks, more specifically ex-King Mike Bibby, made them pay, taking a 14-10 lead at the midway point of the quarter. The Kings used a balanced attack to keep pace, led by Tyreke Evans and his six points. Jamal Crawford came in the game and quickly put up eight points to lead the Hawks. Atlanta used an impressive 13-8 rebound advantage to take a four point lead into the second.
Kings 23 Hawks 27
Leaders
Kings- Evans (6) Points; Thompson (4) Rebounds; Udrih (2) Assists.
Hawks- Crawford (8) Points; Bibby (5) Rebounds; Smith/Horford (3) Assists.
Second Quarter Recap
The Hawks continued to hurt the Kings on the boards in the second, stretching their advantage to 22-14 at the 4:53 mark. Atlanta hit 5-7 three pointers in the first quarter and came out hot again in the second going 2-4. Omri Casspi came in and gave the Kings a spark, scoring seven points off the bench. Casspi’s scoring wasn’t enough as the Hawks grabbed almost every Kings’ miss and fast-breaked their way to a 14 point lead with a little over three minutes left in the quarter. Jamal Crawford continued his strong play, finishing the half with 15 points and leading the Hawks to a healthy double digit lead.
Kings 40 Hawks 54
Leaders
Kings- Evans (8) Points; Casspi (6) Rebounds; Jeter (5) Assists.
Hawks- Crawford (15) Points; Smith (9) Rebounds; Smith (5) Assists.
Team Kings Hawks
FG% 41.9% 45.7%
Rebounds 19 29
Assists/TO 11/7 15/8
Third Quarter Recap
The Kings fell apart to start the third, going down big early and then turning to Tyreke Evans to try and get back in it. Evans answered the call and when he didn’t, Cousins was there to tip it in. Westphal turned to Pooh Jeter to try and bite into the Hawks’ lead, which worked momentarily, but Jamal Crawford again figured out ways to kill the Kings. After scoring 15 in the first half, Crawford added another six in very limited minutes in the third. Dalembert and Evans played well in the third, but the Hawks pushed the lead back to 14 going into the fourth.
Kings 63 Hawks 77
Leaders
Kings- Evans (14) Points; Casspi (7) Rebounds; Jeter (6) Assists.
Hawks- Johnson/Crawford (21) Points; Smith (11) Rebounds; Smith (6) Assists.
Fourth Quarter Recap
It got ugly early in the fourth. The Kings missed a few shots, turned the ball over a couple of times and boom- they were down 22. Of course, this is the Kings who have proven that they can give it away, but also take it back. At the 1:40 mark, Carl Landry hit a pair of free throws to cut the Hawks’ lead to seven at 89-96. After an incredible steal and lay-in by Evans, the Kings trailed by five with 44.4 seconds left in the game. Joe Johnson pushed the lead back to seven with a pair of free throws, giving him a game high 27 points to put the game away, but the fans that were left still enjoyed the effort. Rookie DeMarcus Cousins scored 16 points in the fourth to give him 24 on the night, while Evans added 15 and finished the night with 29.
Kings Lose.
Kings 102 Hawks 108
Leaders
Kings- Evans (29) Points; Casspi (11) Rebounds; Evans (8) Assists.
Hawks- Crawford (31) Points; Smith (11) Rebounds; Crawford (7) Assists.
Team Kings Hawks
FG% 44.8% 51.3%
Rebounds 39 47
Assists/TO 23/10 23/19
Player of the Game: Jamal Crawford. The veteran bench scorer torched the Kings early and often, tallying 31 points on 10-17 shooting and adding seven assists. Every time the Kings got close, Crawford seemed to sense it and drill a big shot. Joe Johnson was amazing as well, especially in the fourth quarter, but Crawford scored eight in the first, seven in the second, six in the third and ten in the fourth for a very balanced 31 points.
The Difference Maker: DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans. This combination of first and second year players almost wiped out a 22 point deficit in the fourth quarter. Cousins scored 16 of his 24 points in the fourth, while Evans tossed in 15 (29 total) fourth quarter points along with four assists and two steals. With Cousins manning the inside and Evans slashing from the outside, the Kings’ future was on display tonight in the fourth quarter.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
