With so many rumors swirling around Rudy Gay, he decided to quiet some critiques with a game-winner and bring his team within a game of tying the Utah Jazz for the final playoff spot.
Gay scored 24 points, grabbed nine rebounds and hit the clutch shot with under a second left to give the Kings a 103-101 victory.
“It is something I’ve always done in my career,” Gay told the Associated Press. “I haven’t been able to make a game-winner since I’ve been here. But, it was good to see that one go in.”
The issue Gay has had this season like many of his teammates has been consistency on the defensive end.
Last night, he was very active on the boards, running the floor well and getting highlight dunks. Gay scored the Kings’ final eight points. You might say it was his best game thus far. The only game where he dominated like this was against the Milwaukee Bucks on the road.
If only this version of Gay showed up with more consistency, the Kings would have a better record without a doubt. The Kings’ front office has some thinking to do. Will they ride it out with him for the rest of the season or will they deal him by the deadline?
The potential is there and has been there since the day he stepped in and became a Sacramento King. We have seen flashes of brilliance from him but also atrocious defensive nights.
Gay is under contract next season with the Kings at $13.3 million and he has a player option for the 2017-18 season that will pay him $14.3 million.
I believe his contact is more than fair but everyone knows the Kings need perimeter defense. Gay is without a doubt the most enticing player the Kings have to offer in order to receive a solid defensive player in return.
The next couple of games will be very interesting to watch because we have yet to see Gay put a couple of solid games together this season. He’s more than capable but talk is cheap.
This team has done a lot of barking all season long, but they have yet to back it up. Last night was a start. Let’s just hope they don’t take a step backwards against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
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