Magic-Kings Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Dec 06 2012 10:47PM

With Tyreke Evans back in the lineup and getting the job done from 3-point range, the Sacramento Kings just returned to the win column.

Orlando Magic rookie coach Jacque Vaughn knows that Evans and the Kings are improving from beyond the arc, but he's more concerned about stopping them from getting into the paint.

Sacramento will try to win two in a row for just the second time this season Friday night when the Magic look to bounce back from one of the worst 3-point shooting efforts in franchise history.

After missing the previous two contests with a bruised left knee, Evans hit two late 3s and finished with 23 points Wednesday as the Kings ended a three-game slide with a 107-100 home victory over Toronto.

The fourth-year guard has never been known for his outside touch - he's a career 25.8 percent 3-point shooter - but he's 7 for 15 from beyond the arc while averaging 20.3 points in his last seven games.

"I'm happy for (Evans), especially on his outside shooting," said center DeMarcus Cousins, who finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds Wednesday. "If Tyreke gets confidence in that shot he's going to be an incredible player."

Getting to the basket with more regularity could also help Evans raise his career-worst 15.5 scoring average. He went to the foul line a season-high 12 times Wednesday - hitting seven - as Sacramento (5-12) shot a season-high 34 free throws.

The Kings, 5-2 when they take 22 or more foul shots, also extended their streak of games with six or more 3s to nine.

Vaughn, though, is focused on protecting the lane, as Sacramento scored 56 points in the paint against the Raptors.

"Our ability to contain penetration - it boils down to that," Vaughn said. "They have guys who can, at the end of the day, break you down one-on-one and score the basketball, whether it's Aaron Brooks, Tyreke Evans, you can go down the line, John Salmons and even Cousins at the center position doing it one-on-one."

The Magic (7-11) don't have the same type of athletes on their team, and the result is a league-low 17.0 free throws per game.

Orlando has taken a different offensive approach under Vaughn, shooting 16.1 3-pointers per game compared to a league-high 27.0 a season ago, but the team's success still has much to do with its ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc.

The Magic are 0-8 when hitting four or fewer 3s after missing 14 of 15 in Wednesday's 87-81 loss at Utah.

It was the lowest 3-point percentage ever by Orlando when it had at least 15 attempts. The team opened its five game trip by hitting 8-of-23 3s against both the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State in a pair of wins.

The Magic have won two straight and seven of eight in this series, averaging 112.0 points during that stretch.

Bench leads Kings to 91-82 win over Magic

Posted Dec 08 2012 2:09AM

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Although Jimmer Fredette and Isaiah Thomas are rarely on the floor at the same time, the two reserve guards were paired in the fourth quarter Friday night and both played key roles in the Sacramento Kings' victory.

DeMarcus Cousins had 17 points and 14 rebounds, Thomas also scored 17 points and Fredette added 15 to help the Kings beat the Orlando Magic 91-82.

Fredette and Thomas have been typically vying this season for the same minutes. But trailing by two points entering the fourth, Kings coach put Fredette and Thomas in the backcourt with three other reserves - rookie Thomas Robinson, Chuck Hayes, and a third guard, Marcus Thornton.

Sacramento outscored Orlando 29-18 in the fourth. It didn't help that the Magic shot 7 of 24 in the final quarter and were outhustled by the Kings, who outrebounded Orlando 17-9.

"We played small ball and came to life," Smart said.

After squandering an 11-point lead in the third quarter, the Kings regrouped in the fourth behind the strong play of their backups. Led by Thomas and Fredette, who both scored 11 points in the period, the reserves played for much of the final quarter and produced a 15-2 run that propelled Sacramento to consecutive wins for the second time this season.

A heralded college player at BYU, Fredette has played well off the bench in his second season. Against Orlando, he enjoyed a perfect fourth quarter, connecting on all three field-goal attempts and making four straight free throws in the game's final 22 seconds.

"It's a great dynamic (playing with Thomas). I think it's two guys that can shoot the ball, but also make plays for other people and can get into the lane and penetrate," Fredette said. "I was happy to go in there with him and pull out a win."

Thomas was a starter the second half of last season when he blossomed as a rookie. But playing time has been tough to get since he lost the starting job to Aaron Brooks after eight games this season. In two of the previous four games Thomas played a combined eight minutes.

Against Orlando, Thomas entered the game in the first quarter and wound up playing nearly 28 minutes. In the fourth quarter, Thomas hit a pair of jumpers and 7 of 8 free throws. He also finished with five rebounds and four assists.

"We were on the court a few tiimes last year and were successful," Thomas said. "He was aggressive, I was aggressive, and we fed off each other. We wanted to bring a different pace to the game."

Jason Thompson added 12 points and Brooks had 11 for the Kings, who are 5-0 at home when leading at halftime.

Glen Davis had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Orlando, but fouled out in the final 36 seconds.

Arron Afflalo had 18 points and Jameer Nelson scored 17 for the Magic, who have lost two straight and five of seven. Andrew Nicholson added 14 points.

"They made some plays in the fourth quarter," Davis said. "Fredette made some good moves and Isaiah was tough. He really sealed the game the way he played. Those are two tough little guards."

The Kings were without starting guard Tyreke Evans, who didn't play for the third time in four games with a sore right knee. Evans was a critical factor in the Kings' victory Wednesday over Toronto, making two 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter and scoring 23 points. Evans is questionable for Saturday's game in Portland.

A fastbreak layup by Afflalo cut the Sacramento lead to 81-78 with just under 3 minutes left. The Kings' final 10 points were free throws, including a pair by Cousins that stretched their cushion to 87-78 with 28 seconds remaining.

Although his starters rallied the Kings late in the third quarter, Smart went with the small lineup in the fourth and stuck with it almost throughout. Fredette, Thomas and Robinson played all 12 minutes in the final quarter.

"Every game has a different personality," Smart said. "The lineup that Orlando used allowed me to do that rotation tonight. They didn't look to post up their guards. In tomorrow's game, Portland will post up their twos and threes, so there may not be a situation like that."

The Kings used a 15-2 run to take a nine-point lead, but Orlando responded on Davis' three-point play and a 3-pointer from Nelson to trim it to 79-76 with 3:40 left.

After losing the lead in the third quarter, the Kings regained it in the fourth behind the play of five reserves. Fredette connected on a corner 3 off a fast break for a 69-68 advantage at the 8:28 mark. A jumper by Fredette a short time later capped seven consecutive points for the Kings, who took a 73-68 lead.

Nelson had 10 points and Afflalo scored nine in the third period when the Magic shook off a poor first half and outscored the Kings 30-16. Nelson made all four third-quarter shots, including a pair of 3s.

"I felt pretty decent going into the fourth," Orlando coach Jacque Vaughn said. "Even though we got the lead we still missed some shots, a few bunnies at the rim. We had some good looks down the stretch. It doesn't always boil down to the shots at the end of the game. There were a lot of shots throughout the course of the game that didn't go in."

Trailing 54-43 in the third, the Magic finally got going offensively, scoring 16 straight points. Afflalo scored the final five, hitting two free throws and a 3 that put Orlando in front 59-54 with 4:28 left in the quarter.

The Kings benefited in the first half from the inside play of Thompson and Cousins. Thompson had 10 points and six rebounds, while Cousins had nine points and eight rebounds in leading the Kings to a 46-34 halftime lead. Brooks also scored nine points for Sacramento.

Davis scored 10 first-half points for the Magic, who shot 35 percent. They were outrebounded 27-18 and committed nine turnovers.

NOTES: Francisco Garcia made his first start of the season in place of Evans. Garcia had played in only seven of the Kings' previous 17 games this season. ... Orlando missed all five of its 3-point attempts in the first half. ... Sacramento shot 32 percent in the third quarter and was outrebounded 13-7. ... Orlando concludes its five-game West Coast trip Sunday in Portland, while the Kings play five of the next six on the road, starting Saturday in Portland.

Notebook: Kings 91, Magic 82

James Ham, for NBA.com
Posted Sat Dec 08, 2012 1:25 AM - Updated Sat Dec 08, 2012 1:25 AM

THE FACTS: In front of a near capacity Sacramento crowd, the Kings upset the Orlando Magic 91-82.

Isaiah Thomas and Jimmer Fredette combined to shoot 10-for-17 from the field and scored 32 huge points off the Sacramento bench. DeMarcus Cousins anchored the post, notching another double-double. The third-year big man out of Kentucky finished with 17 points, 14 rebounds and four assists in the win.

Glen Davis battled in the post, finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out in the final minute. The Magic's starting backcourt of Aaron Afflalo and Jameer Nelson combined for 35 points in the loss.

QUOTABLE: "I've been trying since I've been here to say 'it doesn't matter who's on the floor, let's get the win.' You've got your contract. Enjoy the game now. Let's just win. Let's win the game, that's what's important."
-- Kings coach Keith Smart

THE STAT: The Kings' bench outscored the Magic's bench 44-22.

TURNING POINT: At the 8:28 mark of the fourth quarter, Fredette buried a 3-pointer in transition that gave the Kings the lead and brought down the house. The Kings never trailed the rest of the way.

QUOTABLE II: "We really appreciate them. They're some of the best fans in the NBA and they have been for a long time. We appreciate that they keep coming back, win or lose."
-- Kings' Jimmer Fredette

HOT: After a sub-par first half, Nelson came out hot in the third quarter for Orlando, scoring 10 points on 4-for-4 shooting and getting his team right back in the game.

NOT: John Salmons really struggled, finishing with five points on 1-for-8 shooting in his 24 minutes of action.

GOOD MOVE: Coach Smart has had a difficult time figuring out which young point guard to use off his bench, so tonight he used them together. For a long stretch in the second and then again in the fourth quarter, Smart used Fredette, Thomas and Marcus Thornton in a super small three guard set. It was this lineup that gave his team the lead and won this game.

BAD MOVE: Whatever was said in the Kings' locker room during halftime had the opposite effect. After leading by 12 going into the third, the Kings were outscored by 14 in the third. The home team recovered in the fourth for the win, but a flat third made this one a lot closer than it had to be.

NOTABLE: Tyreke Evans missed his third game in the last week due to swelling in his knee. Earlier in the day, Evans underwent an MRI that came back negative.

UP NEXT: For the Magic, Sunday @ Phoenix, Wednesday vs. Atlanta, Friday vs. Golden State. For the Kings, Saturday @ Portland, Monday @ Dallas, Wednesday @ Milwaukee.

• Magic: Harrington, Turkoglu
• Kings: Honeycutt

• Magic: --
• Kings: --

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Sleep Train Arena, Sacramento, CA
• Officials: #43 Dan Crawford, #6 Tony Brown, #60 James Williams
• Attendance: 16305
• Duration: 2:16