CK Press Box Report: Kings 114, Warriors 106

by James Ham & Jonathan Santiago

Playing to their potential.

Each starter for the Sacramento Kings played stellar in a thrilling 114-106 overtime victory at home over the Golden State Warriors.

“We were clicking on all cylinders tonight,” said big man DeMarcus Cousins, who posted his first-career 20-20 game.  “But we’ve still got a lot of growing to do.  We’ve still got room for improvement so we’re going to continue to grow and get better.”

The Kings led by 11-points going into the fourth quarter.  But the Warriors’ bench, particularly Nate Robinson and Klay Thompson brought Golden State back in the game.  The two guards combined for 24 of the Warriors’ 26 points in the final period.

However, the Kings dominated in overtime – outscoring the Warriors 12-4 en route to victory.

“This group has shown from day one that they have the ability to get back in games – especially at home,” said Kings Head Coach Keith Smart.  “They haven’t done that yet on the road, but (they have)…at home with our crowd and our fan base.”

Notes and Analysis

• Tonight, DeMarcus Cousins collected the first of what should be many 20-20 games in his career.  The second-year big man scored 21 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in 41 minutes of action.

• Jason Thompson kept pace with Cousins, scoring an impressive 15 points on seven-for-13 shooting and adding a season-high 16 rebounds.  Thompson is turning heads right now with his solid, under control play.

• Marcus Thornton could do no wrong in the third quarter.  In his second game back from injury, Thornton scored 18 points in the third, hitting seven-for-eight from the field and knocking down all four of three-point attempts.

• Tyreke Evans started slow, but finished the game strong.  The Kings guard had just nine points and three assists at half, but finished with a near a double-double – 26 points, nine assists and only one turnover.  With less than a minute to go in overtime, Evans nailed a fading 25-foot three-pointer to seal the victory.

• The Kings out-rebounded the Warriors 55-36 on the night.  The combination of Thompson and Cousins matched the Warriors output on the glass, with 36 boards between them.

• The Kings only scored 10 points off the bench tonight.  Isaiah Thomas led the way with four points in just over 14 minutes of action.  The Warriors bench scored 43 points, but played substantial minutes as head coach Mark Jackson went away from his starters.

• Dorell Wright killed the Kings in the first half, scoring 19 of his 24 points before the break.  The Kings repeatedly left him open on the corners and he responded by hitting six-for-seven from the field and all three of his long-range shots.

• Nate Robinson provided a big spark off the bench for the Warriors.  The pint-size dynamo scored 20 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished out four assists in 24 minutes of play.  He scored 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter.

• Klay Thompson set a new career-high with 16 points tonight, with 12 of them coming during the Warriors big fourth quarter rally.  The rookie shot five-for-eight from the field and four-for-five from three-point range, including a huge, game-tying shot that sent the contest to overtime.

• The Warriors hit 16 of their 29 three-point attempts tonight for an impressive 55.2 percent.  The Kings weren’t far behind, hitting 10-for-22 for 45.5 percent.

• Stat of the night: All five starters scored in double figures for the Kings, led by Thornton’s 28.  John Salmons continues to show improvement, scoring 14 points while racking up season-highs in assists (six) and steals (five).