Spurs Beat Kings for 12th Straight Win
By: Morgan Ragan
The Sacramento Kings lost to the San Antonio Spurs for the third time this season Friday night at Sleep Train Arena 99-79.
Sacramento held the Spurs to under 100 but couldn't stop Marco Belinelli late in the game. He had 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter and the Spurs won their 12th straight game.
"A rare night where we defended at a high level but we were unable to rebound," head coach Michael Malone said following the loss.
The Spurs had 19 second chance points off of their 13 offensive boards.
Sacramento's "big three" all scored under 20 points. Rudy Gay finished with 14 points going 4 for 14 from the field and left the game in the third quarter due to stomach issues.
DeMarcus Cousins had his 43rd double-double of the season scoring 15 points and 13 boards, while Isaiah Thomas led the Kings in scoring with 18 points.
Travis Outlaw added a spark off the bench adding 13 points for the Kings going 2 for 4 from behind the arc.
Former Kings center Vlade Divac sat courtside next to owner Vivek Ranadive and received a standing ovation from fans during a first quarter timeout.
Royce White made his NBA debut with 56 seconds left in the game but never touched the ball. He was the 16th overall pick in the 2012 draft.
Analysis:
The Kings assist to turnover ratio ended on a positive note. They actually had more assists than turnovers Friday night with 17 assists to their 15 turnovers.
DeMarcus Cousins had his 6th straight double-double, he showed frustrations in the third quarter and found the will power to bottle up most of his emotions.
"Cousins has gone 10 or 11 games without getting a tech, I give him a lot of credit. He's really trying to mature and make sure he doesn't get that last technical," Malone said. "I feel like he did a great job composing himself tonight at times where he could've gone the other way."
