Kings-Nets Preview

By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
Posted Jan 05 2013 1:22AM

Brook Lopez is the highest scoring center in the NBA, but DeMarcus Cousins isn't far behind.

Although Cousins got the better of the most recent matchup, it was Lopez and the Brooklyn Nets that emerged with the win.

The centers will be matched up for the final time this season as the Nets and Sacramento Kings attempt to continue their respective surges Saturday night at Barclays Center.

Lopez leads all starting centers with an average of 18.9 points, while Cousins has 17.1 per game and has added 10.3 rebounds.

Cousins was much more productive than his counterpart on Nov. 18, scoring 29 points while holding Lopez to 13. However, Brooklyn (18-15) won 99-90 for its sixth victory in the last eight meetings.

Both teams enter this matchup having won four of five with their respective centers playing key roles.

Lopez is averaging 24.8 points and 9.0 boards while hitting 60.0 percent from the floor in that span, while Cousins has 19.4 points and 14.0 rebounds in five games since missing two due to a team suspension for unprofessional behavior.

Cousins had one of the best games of his career in Friday's 105-96 win at Toronto, scoring a season-high 31 points and matching a career best with 20 rebounds.

"He had the right energy to start the game, he had the right mindset of not trying to score 50 but trying to let his teammates play," coach Keith Smart said. "He's in a good spot as a basketball player right now and he's only going to get better."

While Lopez is surrounded by All-Star guards Deron Williams and Joe Johnson, Cousins' play for Sacramento is vital with swingman Tyreke Evans out with a knee injury.

That's likely why Smart called him, "the guy who makes it all work for us."

The Kings (13-20) surely see that as a welcome change for Cousins, a noted malcontent who has already been suspended three times in less than three full seasons.

"He's involved and he's understanding the game better," said John Salmons, who had 20 points Friday. "He's understanding what it takes to win. He's trying to do to things for this team to move up in the standings and make a playoff push."

Salmons is averaging 15.0 points in his last four games, but he had just two in nearly 28 minutes against the Nets in November.

The Kings notched their second straight road win Friday after winning once in their first 14 games away from home. They haven't managed a three-game road win streak since March 23-27, 2011.

"We're playing some good team basketball," Cousins said. "It doesn't matter who's having a good night, let's feed them the rock. That's been our mindset and it's been working."

The Nets, though, have a three-game home winning streak against the Kings, and Lopez has totaled 55 points and 19 rebounds in the past two.

He had 27 points and 13 rebounds before Johnson hit the go-ahead jumper with 0.7 seconds left in Friday's 115-113 double-overtime win at Washington. Johnson finished with 18 points, while Williams added 24 with 10 assists.

"That's what big-time players do. We put him in a good position to make the play, and he made the play," coach P.J. Carlesimo said of Johnson after improving to 4-1 since taking over for the fired Avery Johnson.

Johnson wasn't very good against Sacramento two months ago, making 1 of 10 shots from the floor and finishing with 10 points. He had been averaging 24.4 points over the previous eight meetings.

Subs help Nets beats Kings for 3rd straight win

By BRIAN MAHONEY
Posted Jan 05 2013 11:03PM

NEW YORK (AP) After a long night and a short turnaround, the Brooklyn Nets' starters needed help Saturday.

MarShon Brooks, Andray Blatche and Mirza Teletovic provided enough to wrap this one up by halftime.

Brook Lopez scored 18 points in 17 minutes to lead six players in double figures, and the Nets got a nice effort from their reserves in beating the Sacramento Kings 113-93 for their third straight victory.

Less than 24 hours after needing two overtimes to escape with a 115-113 victory in Washington, the Nets made sure the starters weren't too taxed. Deron Williams and Joe Johnson both scored 15 points, but neither had to play even 30 minutes.

"I think the starters played the last three, four games, really exhausted from playing so many minutes," Teletovic said. "And I think it was very, very important for me, once I got on the bench and Deron talked to me and Gerald Wallace talked to me and (Jerry) Stackhouse talked to me, just said, `Guys, once you get out there, we really need a lot of energy from you."'

Brooks and Blatche each scored 15 points and Teletovic had a career-best 14 as the Nets scored a season-high 65 points in the first half and improved to 5-1 under interim coach P.J. Carlesimo.

DeMarcus Cousins had 28 points and 11 rebounds for the Kings, who had won four of five overall and two straight on the road but were defenseless in the finale of their four-game trip.

"We gave up in the half 67 percent shooting and 65 points. We didn't have the energy for this game tonight," Kings coach Keith Smart said. "Obviously, you could see we shot 40 percent. We didn't have the legs and didn't have the energy in this game."

The Nets got a huge lift from their reserves in the first meeting this season, when Blatche came off the bench to make his first 10 shots. This time, the production was spread among three players.

The Nets made 10 of their first 13 shots and finished 15 of 21 (71 percent) in the first quarter, but led only 36-31 after John Salmons scored 13 points. The Nets then opened it up in the second while the starters watched.

Teletovic, an NBA rookie who spent most of his pro career in Spain, made a jumper and had seven more points in a 15-2 run that turned a three-point edge into a 51-35 lead midway through the period. Brooks made three straight Nets baskets at one point in the quarter, mostly tough looks where he was well-defended or the shot clock was running down.

"They really were the ones who broke the game open, because most of the first quarter we were just trading baskets, we weren't stopping them at all," Carlesimo said. "We were really good offensively but we weren't defending anybody and the bench group in the second quarter just blew it open with a great defensive effort."

It was 65-47 at the break after the Nets made 27 of 40 shots (67.5 percent). Brooks, who was getting inconsistent minutes under Avery Johnson, was one point off his season high and said he is regaining his confidence after shooting 56 percent in the last five games.

"Absolutely. I'm not looking over my shoulder. I'm just going out there and having fun," he said. "That's kind of the way I play."

The Kings were hoping for three consecutive road wins for the first time since March 23-27, 2011, but had little bright spots beyond another strong game from Cousins.

"I just feel like the energy wasn't there from the beginning. It hurt us once again," Cousins said. "I can say for myself, I started off sluggish. When we start off games like that, especially against good teams like that, we're going to have a hard time."

Cousins had a season-high 31 points and career high-tying 20 rebounds Friday in a victory at Toronto. He missed a game last month when he was suspended by the Kings for unprofessional behavior and conduct detrimental to the team but had been on a tear lately, averaging 19.4 points, 14.0 boards and 5.4 assists in the last five games.

Smart, who said both sides have moved past their problems, said Cousins was doing a much better job trusting his teammates and was the obvious key to Sacramento's recent success.

"I think maybe, maybe, he's turned the corner in realizing that if you want to be a star in this league, all the stars allow the other teammates to play and they make them better," Smart said before the game.

Cousins tried to keep the Kings in it, making all five shots in the third period and scoring 12 points, but all that could do was trim the 23-point lead the Nets had early in the quarter down to 16. Blatche had the first two baskets of the fourth to push the lead back to 20 and the Nets cruised from there.

Reggie Evans grabbed 12 rebounds and Blatche had 11 for the Nets.

NOTES: Injured guard Tyreke Evans has rejoined the Kings and is expected to start playing again on their five-game homestand. A second opinion on his sore left knee supported the Kings' treatment and rehabilitation regimen. Evans has missed 13 of the last 17 games. ... Brooklyn's previous best was 64 points in the first half against Cleveland on Nov. 13. ... Saturday was the one-year anniversary of Smart being named the Kings head coach.

Notebook: Nets 113, Kings 93

Jake Appleman, for NBA.com
Posted Sat Jan 05, 2013 11:19 PM - Updated Sat Jan 05, 2013 11:19 PM

THE FACTS: The Nets routed the Kings at Barclays Center, 113-93, with help from six players scoring between 14 and 18 points. After a fast start -- neither team playing much defense on the second night of back-to-backs -- the Nets outscored the Kings by 13 in the second quarter and left little doubt the rest of the way. Brook Lopez scored 18 points in under 17 minutes, while DeMarcus Cousins (28 points, 11 rebounds) continued to put up gaudy numbers for the Kings.

QUOTABLE: "It was great, our starters came out focused. Our bench came in and took our energy to a whole other level." - Lopez

THE STAT: The Nets shot 67.5 percent in the first half en route to 65 points.

TURNING POINT: The Nets took control with an 11-0 run in the second quarter, sparked by seven points from Mirza Teletovic.

QUOTABLE II: "I just feel like the energy wasn't there from the beginning. It hurt us once again."
-- Cousins.

INSIDE THE ARENA: Barclays Center was sold out for the 12th time in 19 home games.

ROOKIE WATCH: Teletovic finished with a career-high 14 points, six rebounds and two blocks... Thomas Robinson didn't contribute much in 16-plus minutes, save a few spectacular dunks with the outcome already decided.

NOTABLE: Teletovic shot his first free throws of the season in the second quarter. ... Travis Outlaw, signed by the Nets in the summer of 2010, went scoreless in his Brooklyn debut, misfiring on all five of his field goal attempts. ... The Nets had 50 bench points, led by Andray Blatche (15), MarShon Brooks (15) and Teletovic. ... P.J. Carlesimo is now 5-1 as the Nets' interim coach.

UP NEXT: For the Kings, Monday vs. Memphis, Thursday vs. Dallas, Saturday vs. Miami. For the Nets, Tuesday @ Philadelphia, Friday vs. Phoenix, Sunday vs. Indiana.

• Kings: Evans
• Nets: Humphries

• Kings: --
• Nets: --

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
• Officials: #36 David Jones, #42 Eric Lewis, #72 JT Orr
• Attendance: 17732
• Duration: 2:02