Kings-Cavaliers Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Feb 18 2012 7:26PM

The Cleveland Cavaliers' longest homestand of the season is not going the way the team had hoped.

A visit from the lowly Sacramento Kings could help turn things around.

The Cavaliers look to bounce back from a loss to their former superstar's current team and hand the Kings a fifth consecutive defeat Sunday night.

While Cleveland (11-17) is eight wins shy of matching its entire win total from last season, the Cavaliers still do not seem to be a serious playoff contender in the Eastern Conference. One reason could be their disappointing 6-8 record at Quicken Loans Arena.

The Cavaliers fell to 2-3 on their nine-game homestand after LeBron James scored 28 points to lead Miami to a 111-87 win Friday in his third game in Cleveland since leaving for the Heat in 2010. Cleveland trailed 35-14 after one quarter and shot 39.5 percent for the game.

"We looked like we were frightened," said Cavaliers coach Byron Scott, whose team has averaged 89.7 points on 40.9 percent while losing two of the last three during the home stretch.

Thankfully for Scott's club, Sacramento (10-20) has not frightened many opponents while going 3-15 on the road. The Kings have allowed an average of 111.7 points on 49.6 percent in losses to Chicago, New York and Detroit to open their six-game trip.

However, Scott hopes his squad will not underestimate a Sacramento team that has lost nine of 10 to the Cavaliers. The Kings' lone victory during that span came when they snapped a four-game skid at Cleveland with a 107-104 win Oct. 30, 2010.

"As much as we're saying this is a game we can win, they are saying the same thing," Scott told the Cavaliers' official website. "(The Kings) are very dangerous, it's no doubt that they can score."

DeMarcus Cousins had 26 points with 15 rebounds while Marcus Thornton scored 24 as Sacramento fell 114-108 at Detroit on Friday despite leading by seven after one quarter and going 43 of 86 from the field on the night.

"That was tough, man," said guard Tyreke Evans, who had 16 points, nine assists and six rebounds. "We have to learn to clean our game and close teams out. That's what good teams do."

Cousins, who totaled just 25 points but pulled down 26 rebounds in two games against the Cavaliers last season as a rookie, has averaged 23.8 and 11.3 boards in the last four contests overall.

Thornton has averaged 26.7 points on 31 of 61 from the field in three career games versus Cleveland.

The Kings will get their first look at Cleveland's star rookie Kyrie Irving, who is averaging 18.2 points and 5.0 assists. The No. 1 overall pick last summer had 17 points Friday in his second game back since missing three with a concussion.

Cleveland also hopes to have guard Daniel Gibson on the floor after he missed Friday's loss with a sprained ankle. The Cavaliers will not have swingman Anthony Parker, who will sit out his 10th consecutive game because of back spasms.

Irving's 2 FTs give Cavs 93-92 win over Kings

Posted Feb 19 2012 11:00PM

CLEVELAND (AP) Kyrie Irving was calm and confident when he stepped to the foul line with 0.4 seconds remaining on the clock Sunday night.

"I imagined myself back in my backyard," he said. "I felt like it was a routine situation for me. There was a little bit of pressure, but I was prepared for it."

Irving, looking like a seasoned pro instead of a 19-year-old rookie, hit two clutch free throws to give the Cleveland Cavaliers a 93-92 win over Sacramento that extended the Kings' losing streak to five games.

The Cavaliers bounced back from Friday night's embarrassing 111-87 home loss to LeBron James and the Miami Heat, after which Cleveland coach Byron Scott questioned his team's toughness. While the Cavaliers failed to hold a 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter, they showed some much-needed grit down the stretch in a game that was tied 17 times and featured 19 lead changes.

"We got a little lucky tonight," Scott said. "That's all I can say."

Irving, the No. 1 pick in the draft, won an unexpected duel with Kings rookie point guard Isaiah Thomas, the last pick in the draft. Thomas, making his second NBA start, scored a career-high 23 points and had 11 assists for the Kings.

"He was the No. 1 pick, I was the last pick," Thomas said. "Why not use that for extra motivation? He's a great player, so it was a lot of fun."

Irving's foul shots came after DeMarcus Cousins' basket with 2.9 seconds left gave the Kings a 92-91 lead.

Cleveland called timeout to get the ball at midcourt. Irving inbounded to Antawn Jamison, who gave the ball back to the point guard. Irving drove into the lane, where he was fouled by Tyreke Evans.

"Three seconds is a long length of time," Irving said. "I was going to shoot a jump shot or get to the basket. Luckily, Tyreke fouled me and I got to the free throw line."

Irving was surprised when Evans reached in.

"Even if they didn't call a foul, I saw the lane open up a little bit and I was going to go for a layup," Irving said. "He fouled me. It was a unique situation."

It was yet another frustrating night for the Kings, who weren't so sure Irving was actually fouled.

"I can't answer that, my wife will be mad (if I get fined)," Sacramento coach Keith Smart said when asked about the play. "I just saw a good defensive play."

"We were switching everywhere, so I didn't know who was going to guard who," Evans said.

The Kings had one last chance. After a timeout moved the ball to halfcourt, Evans' alley-oop pass hit the rim and the game appeared to be over. However, the officials ruled the clock started too early and Sacramento had another opportunity. Evans inbounded to Cousins, but his fallaway shot from the right side caromed off the rim and came after time expired.

Sacramento is 0-4 on its six-game road trip and the Kings play at Miami on Tuesday.

"It's unfortunate how it ended," Smart said. "Our guys deserved to win this game, but it wasn't in the cards for us tonight."

Cleveland built an 80-70 lead early in the fourth period, but the Kings rallied to go ahead. The lead changed five times before Tristan Thompson's tip-in tied the game at 90-all with 35 seconds left.

The Kings missed three shots on their ensuing possession and Alonzo Gee was fouled trying to grab the rebound. He missed the first shot, but made the second.

After a timeout, Cousins took the inbounds pass from Thomas, drove the baseline around Jamison and scored on an underhand layup.

Marcus Thornton scored 21 points and Cousins had 19 for the Kings. Jamison scored 21 points for Cleveland.

The Cavaliers are 3-3 on their nine-game homestand, the longest in franchise history.

The teams were involved in an offseason trade that sent small forward Omri Casspi to Cleveland while power forward J.J. Hickson joined the Kings. Casspi scored six points and had a career-high 12 rebounds while Hickson was scoreless and had four rebounds off the bench. The Cavaliers also received a lottery-protected first-round draft pick.

NOTES: The Kings, who are 3-16 on the road, play in Miami on Tuesday and in Washington on Wednesday. ... Smart went 9-31 as interim coach of the Cavaliers in 2002-2003, replacing John Lucas at midseason. ... Cavaliers G Daniel Gibson missed his second straight game with a sprained ankle. Scott said Gibson might return Tuesday against Detroit. ... Cleveland G Anthony Parker sat out his 10th consecutive game because of back spasms.

Notebook: Cavaliers 93, Kings 92

Posted Sunday February 19, 2012 11:11PM

By Brian Dulik, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Rookie point guard Kyrie Irving made two free throws with 0.4 seconds left, giving the Cleveland Cavaliers a 93-92 victory over the Sacramento Kings at Quicken Loans Arena. Irving scored 23 points to lead the Cavaliers, who also got 21 points and eight rebounds from power forward Antawn Jamison, and 12 rebounds apiece from small forward Omri Casspi and center Tristan Thompson. Point guard Isaiah Thomas played a terrific all-around game for the Kings with career highs of 23 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists, while shooting guard Marcus Thornton had 21 points and a season-best 10 boards.

QUOTABLE: "I felt like it was a routine situation for me. There was a little bit of pressure, but I was prepared for it. I just imagined myself in my backyard, honestly, shooting my free throws. I'm just glad the situation worked out like that, where I got to the free throw line."
-- Irving.

THE STAT: Thomas statistically outplayed No. 1 overall draft pick Irving in just the second start of his career. Thomas -- the 60th and final selection in the 2011 NBA Draft -- was 8-for-16 from the field, 3-for-7 beyond the arc, and 4-for-5 from the foul line in a career-high 43 minutes. Irving shot 8-for-21, including 2-of-4 on 3-pointers, and 5-for-5 on free throws with one assist in 39 minutes. "He was the No. 1 pick and I was the last pick, I would be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about it," Thomas said. "I mean, why not? That's extra motivation. He's a great player and a great talent."

TURNING POINT: Sacramento took a 92-91 lead with 2.9 seconds left when center DeMarcus Cousins blew by Jamison for a baseline layup, only to have small forward Tyreke Evans commit a game-losing foul after Cleveland inbounded the ball at midcourt. Evans made contact with Irving as he drove toward the lane with 0.4 ticks remaining, drawing a whistle from referee Bennie Adams. Irving made both freebies, and the Kings were unable to get off a final shot on their final possession. "I can't answer (what I thought of the call), my wife will be mad with what happens," Kings coach Keith Smart said. "I just saw a good defensive play, that's all."

QUOTABLE II: "I think we got a little lucky tonight, that's all I can say. We wanted to give Kyrie the ball and see if he can create a shot. We had enough time where we thought he would be able to get the ball and have a dribble or two. Luckily for us, Evans decided to foul him."
-- Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott.

HOT: Thomas is averaging 18.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists while shooting 54.5 percent in his first two starts for the Kings. ... Cousins had 19 points and nine rebounds in 26 aggressive minutes. ... Fourth overall draft pick Thompson posted his first NBA double-double for the Cavaliers with 15 points and a game-high tying 12 boards. ... Casspi's 12 rebounds were a career high. ... Backup point guard Ramon Sessions collected 14 points, six rebounds and five assists for Cleveland. ... Irving is shooting 84.6 percent from the foul line on the season, which ranks 23rd in the NBA and third among rookies.

NOT: Kings power forward J.J. Hickson missed a dunk as part of an 0-for-3 shooting performance, scored zero points in 16 minutes off the bench, and fouled Jamison as he made a 3-pointer. Hickson was traded by the Cavaliers last summer in exchange for Casspi and a protected lottery pick. ... Irving fouled Thomas on a successful 3-pointer, allowing him to convert a rare four-point play (Jamison missed his opportunity to do so). ... Cleveland released point guard Ben Uzoh from his 10-day contract after the game. He averaged 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in two contests.

QUOTABLE III: "A lot of our losses have been tough, but this is one of the toughest. We know we had it. To lose this way is heartbreaking. That's the thing we have to work on, (making) no turnovers in the last two minutes, no stupid fouls."
-- Kings point guard Thomas.

GOOD MOVE: After starting center Semih Erden failed to score or grab a rebound in the first half, Scott gave Thompson the bulk of his minutes over the final two quarters. The Canadian native equaled his season high with seven offensive boards, blocked three shots, and shot 6-for-10. "I've just been doing what I've been doing," Thompson said. "I'm trying to grab every rebound, block every shot, and run the floor. It wasn't the prettiest game, but I'm glad we got the win." Thompson is averaging 7.2 points and 8.4 rebounds since returning from a left ankle sprain five games ago.

BAD MOVE: A timekeeping error gave the Kings two chances to win or tie the game with 0.4 seconds left. With Cleveland leading 93-92, the clock was incorrectly started when Evans' inbounds pass from midcourt hit the rim (not when Cousins subsequently touched it), allowing time to expire before Sacramento got off a shot. Officials Eddie F. Rush, Kevin Cutler and Adams correctly reset the clock to 0.4 and allowed the Kings to inbound the ball for a second time. Cousins again took the pass, but his wing jumper drew backboard and iron -- and was ruled to have come after the buzzer.

NOTABLE: There were 19 lead changes and 17 ties. ... Irving and Thomas both scored 12 points in the first quarter. ... The Cavaliers are 3-3 during their franchise-record nine-game homestand, while the Kings fell to 0-4 on their six-game road trip. ... Cleveland took a 53-52 all-time lead in the series. ... Irving will play with Cousins on Charles Barkley's team in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge, while Thompson was chosen by Shaquille O'Neal's squad. ... Smart went 9-31 as interim coach of the Cavaliers in 2002-2003, replacing John Lucas at midseason.

UP NEXT: For the Kings, Tuesday @ Miami, Wednesday @ Washington, Feb. 28 vs. Utah. For the Cavaliers, Tuesday vs. Detroit, Wednesday vs. New Orleans, Feb. 28 vs. Boston.

• Kings: Honeycutt
• Cavaliers: Gibson, Parker

• Kings: --
• Cavaliers: --

• Lead Changes: 19
• Times Tied: 17

• Arena: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
• Officials: #32 Eddie F. Rush, #34 Kevin Cutler, #47 Bennie Adams
• Attendance: 16812
• Duration: 2:22