Game Preview: Kings At Suns
Isaiah Thomas scored plenty of points for underwhelming Sacramento teams the past three seasons, but the Kings decided not to bring him back.
The lost scoring hasn't been missed to this point, as a commitment to defense has Sacramento on the brink of its best start in 15 years.
The Kings seek their first five-game winning streak in nine seasons as they visit Thomas and the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.
Thomas averaged a career-best 20.3 points for a Sacramento team that finished 28-54 in 2013-14. He entered restricted free agency and settled on the Suns, who were coming off a 23-game improvement from the previous season.
The Kings (4-1) received a trade exception and the rights to 2013 second-round pick Alex Oriakhi in a sign-and-trade deal for Thomas, who inked a four-year, $27 million contract after originally agreeing to an offer sheet.
"I want to show those guys that they made a mistake, but at the same time it's about winning," Thomas said.
He's averaging a team-best 18.6 points as a sixth man for Phoenix (3-2), but he'll now have to contend with his former teammates who have improved defensively after Sacramento ranked 24th in the NBA last season in points allowed (103.4 per game).
The Kings, among the league leaders in field-goal percentage defense (41.1), haven't lost since falling to Golden State in the season opener and now seek their first 5-1 start since winning nine of 10 to begin 1999-2000. They haven't won five straight since 2006-07.
Sacramento held its first three opponents to 95 points or fewer, then beat Denver 110-105 on Monday before defeating the Nuggets again 131-109 on Wednesday.
DeMarcus Cousins scored 26 of his 30 points in the first half and added 11 rebounds Wednesday, while Rudy Gay finished with 29 points.
"Us playing defense the way we are, communicating and playing together, is helping on the offensive end," Cousins said. "Playing defense, I believe, helps build chemistry. We trust in one another and it's going over to the other side of the floor."
The stronger commitment to defense has led to tougher scrutiny from coach Mike Malone as well. Sacramento held the Nuggets to 19 first-quarter points Wednesday and 18 in the third, but the other two quarters were different stories.
"(Wednesday) was a Jekyll and Hyde night," Malone said. "I don't want us creating poor habits, and to allow a team to score 37 points in the fourth quarter is really unacceptable."
The Suns are known for their up-tempo style and heavy guard play, but they've been held to 94 points or fewer three times after falling 102-91 to Memphis on Wednesday.
Eric Bledsoe finished with a season-high 23 points, Markieff Morris had 20 and Thomas added 15.
"We came out playing one-on-one basketball," Bledsoe said. "That's not our game. We're a transition team."
Bledsoe played 15 more minutes than he did in a win over the Lakers the previous night, when he scored only six points. It's just one example of the fluctuating minutes coach Jeff Hornacek has to dole out among his talented crop of guards, which also includes Goran Dragic and Gerald Green.
"Some nights you may play 30 minutes, and others you might play 15 or 18. We have a deep team," Hornacek told the team's official website. "Guys are going to have to accept that for us to be good.
"We try to stress winning. If we're winning the game and they're playing 20 minutes, I think they'll be OK."
These teams split four meetings last season, with Cousins having a double-double in each of the three he played but shooting 37.5 percent.
