Looking for its first win streak since Nov. 25, the purple and black head east to face the Nets inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Kings are fresh off a 135-129 overtime win over New York in Sacramento thanks to DeMarcus Cousins’ monster return.
After missing Friday’s game with the gastroenteritis, DMC resumed action in dominant fashion tallying a season-high 39 points − just two shy of his career high. He also grabbed a game-high-tying 11 rebounds, while recording four assists and two steals in 32 minutes. The double-double was his 15th this season, bringing his career total to 165. He trails only Chris Webber’s 245 double-doubles for the most in the Sacramento era.
Late in the game, Cousins moved into seventh place on Sacramento-era list for points scored, passing Kevin Martin (5,660). No. 15 will now look to lead the River City to a win over Brooklyn − a team the Kings are very familiar with after facing them twice in the preseason in the NBA Global Games.
- On Saturday against the Knicks, Darren Collison became the first player in Sacramento era to record at least 27 points, 10 assists and shoot 90 percent from the field.
- Although he missed Friday’s contest versus the Suns, DeMarcus Cousins is averaging 29.3 points, 11 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.5 blocks per game over his last four games.
- The last time these teams met in the regular season, former Kings guard Marcus Thornton scored 15 of his team-high 27 points off the bench in the fourth quarter to lead Brooklyn to its seventh-straight win at home, 104-89, over Sacramento at the Barclay’s Center.
- This season, Nets forward Mason Plumlee is averaging 8.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1 block per game this season. The Duke product has also posted three straight double-doubles marking the longest streak of his career.
- Brook Lopez, who has missed eight of the last 11 games with a lower back strain, and Deron Williams, who missed two games with a strained right calf, returned in a win over Denver on Dec. 23 to extend the Nets win streak to three games.
- Despite that momentum, the Nets couldn’t defeat the Pacers on Saturday at home, falling 110-85 despite Williams and Lopez playing. The duo combined for just seven points off the bench.
- The Nets are just 7-8 inside the Barclays Center this season, but hold a 3-1 record against Western Conference opponents at home.
Projected Starters
Broadcasts: TV – CSNCA
Comcast - 34 / 721
Dish - 453 / 9576
Dish Hopper – 412-31
DirecTV - 698-1
AT&T - 768 / 1768
SonySix
Radio – KHTK Sports 1140 AM
Kings Big Three
The Kings trio comprised of DMC (39), Rudy (29) and Darren Collison (27) combined to score 95 points in an overtime win over New York. In explosive fashion, the outing marked the most points scored by three Kings in a single game in the Sacramento-era according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Following the win, Head Coach Tyrone Corbin admitted, “We had ups and downs during the course of the game, we lost the lead right at the end of regulation, but to fight the way they did in overtime, to get this win which we really needed before we get on this road trip, says a lot about who they are.
New Kings Rise to Occassion
Nik Stauskas and Darren Collison − two players who are new to the Kings this season − stepped up on Saturday to help their team earn a much-needed win. Although they weren’t the leading scorers, they provided a crucial spark in times of need.
Stauskas entered the game in the first quarter and within the first seven minutes off the pine he tallied seven points. The rookie finished with 11 points on 3-of-4 shooting adding a triple and a crowd-pleasing, two-handed jam.
Meanwhile, Collison set a new Kings season-high with eight assists in the first quarter. He also finished 9-of-10 from the floor for 27 points − the third-highest output on the team.
“Without a doubt [this offense has] suited me all year long,” he stated. “I have good players around me so I’m just playing off of them, just doing what I can. I worked hard on my game all summer so it shouldn’t be too difficult to just go out there and just play my game.”
Collison drained a total of three triples in the game including a clutch trey in overtime to help the Kings outlast the Knicks.
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Now in his second season with the club, Ray McCallum has also seemed to find his niche within the system. No. 3 tallied 30 minutes against the Knicks and left his mark on the game with 10 points, four rebounds, two steals and a block.
“He’s worked his tail off since I’ve been here,” Head Coach Tyrone Corbin said about the Kings reserve point guard. “He’s come into practice every day when he wasn’t playing, worked hard and remained focused − practicing hard every day, listening and learning… he played hard all the time, he can defend. He’s earned an opportunity to play and he’s making the most of his opportunity cause he’s been ready.”
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