The Sacramento Kings start their four-game road trip 2-0, knocking off the New Orleans Pelicans tonight by the final of 99-89. Without the services of starting small forward Rudy Gay and point guard Darren Collison, reserves Omri Casspi and Ramon Sessions stepped in and played well for the now 9-5 Kings.
DeMarcus Cousins chipped in 22 points, 12 rebounds and five assists against a big Pelicans frontline. Michael Malone picked up a pair of technicals in the second quarter and had to watch the game from the locker room, but veteran coach Tyrone Corbin kept the Kings focused and led the team to its third straight victory.
Join James Ham and Rui Thomas for the Road Reaction Postgame Show on Google+ after the game. The show can be watched on the video player embedded below. You can also join the discussion of tonight’s game by leaving a comment at the bottom of the page.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiuwXlflnMI]Music Credit: Ronald Jenkees – Guitar Sound
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What to watch
1. A clash of titans
The Kings will have their hands full with Anthony Davis, who scored 28 points in Sacramento on Nov. 18 and dropped a career-high 43 points on the Utah Jazz Saturday. The young face of the Pelicans franchise is blossoming into a star much like DeMarcus Cousins, and the bigs will likely be compared to each other for the rest of their careers.
2. Defending the deep ball
In the last meeting, the Pelicans teed off from outside, as the Kings left their men on the perimeter with numerous open looks. Eric Gordon, who shot 3-of-6 from behind the arc in Round One, will miss the game due to a shoulder injury, but Ryan Anderson, Luke Babbit, Austin Rivers and Jimmer Fredette can easily the fill the void.
3. A need for steals
Last time, Jrue Holiday orchestrated the Pelicans offense to perfection, dishing out nine assists to zero turnovers in their win. It’s no coincidence that New Orleans ranks second in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.14). Sacramento needs to place an emphasis on pressuring the ball handler and denying entry passes.
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