The Sacramento Kings (21-39) couldn’t corral Victor Oladipo or the Magic’s (20-43) long-range shooters tonight and fell in Orlando by a final of 119-114.
Rudy Gay led the way with 39 points on 16-of-26 shooting and added three assists, three steals and a pair of blocks. DeMarcus Cousins dropped in 29 points and 12 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to beat the Magic on their home floor.
Jason Thompson played in his 519th game for the Kings, passing Peja Stojakovic for first place all-time in the Sacramento era. The veteran forward finished with five points and five rebounds in 24 minutes.
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=GbcdqmypoHA]What to watch
1. Coaching carousel
The Magic and Kings come into this game having fired one and two head coaches this season respectively. Third time has been the charm for Sacramento with hire George Karl, while first-time NBA skipper James Borrego has Orlando at a 4-6 record playing better-executed, more tenacious defense.
2. Second chances
When Sacramento lost at home to Orlando on December 6, they allowed the visitors, who are 28th in the league in offensive rebounds per game, to haul down 10 careens and score 14 second chance points. Meanwhile the Kings notched just five points on second opportunities. DeMarcus Cousins (2.9 offensive boards per game) and Nikola Vucevic (3.4 per match) sat out the contest, but with Vucevic (ankle) out again, Cousins looks to make his presence felt on the glass.
3. History in the making
Jason Thompson is set to eclipse Peja Stojakovic as the Kings’ all-time leader in games played tonight. Versus the Magic in December, the 28-year-old produced 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Matched up against defensive specialist Dewayne Dedmon, what will Thompson have in store for game No. 519?
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