The Sacramento Kings (17-29) awoke from their slumber tonight in Indiana, beating the Pacers (17-32) by a final of 99-94, ending their eight game losing streak. Rudy Gay and Darren Collison took turns battering the Pacers all night while DeMarcus Cousins struggled to find his shot.
Gay finished with a game-high 31 points while Collison added 23 points, five rebounds and five assists. Cousins chipped in 20 points and 19 rebounds, but shot just 6-of-24 from the field and fouled out in the fourth quarter.
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=qNWaXIqigtg]Music Credit: Ronald Jenkees – Guitar Sound
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What to watch
1. Face off at the four
When the Kings beat the Pacers in overtime on December 5, Sacramento’s power forwards outplayed Indiana’s. Aging studs David West and Luis Scola are two of the more competitive personalities in the NBA, so Jason Thompson and Carl Landry need to set the physical tone early and avoid cheap fouls.
2. Outside shooting
The Pacers allow the third-fewest points in the paint per game and surrender the second-fewest offensive rebounds, so the Kings have little choice but to take and make jumpers. In their December match, the Kings hit only 2-of-10 3-pointers and missed a midrange shot to win it in regulation.
3. Body language
Hustle has been missing often in Sacramento, and dives for loose balls have been as rare as Yeti sightings. If the Kings care about ending their eight-game losing streak, the least they can do is give their all, and keep their heads in the game.
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