Darren Collison

sacjwise

Darren Collison (left hamstring strain) remains on the team's Injury Report but has been upgraded PROBABLE for tonight's game. No. 7 has missed the team's previous five games.

In six games this season, Collison boasts averages of 15.8 points and 5.2 assists per game.

DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and Seth Curry are no longer listed and are expected to play tonight in Atlanta.

injury-report-kings-at-hawks

Injury Report: Kings at Hawks

Rudy Gay remains on the Injury Report but has been upgraded to PROBABLE with Gastroenteritis.

Darren Collison (left hamstring strain) has also been upgraded DOUBTFUL for tonight's game. No. 7 has missed the team's previous four games.

Additionally, Seth Curry (right ankle sprain) is PROBABLE.

injury-report-kings-vs-raptors

Injury Report: Kings vs Raptors

sacasingh

Updated: Friday, November 13, 2015 at 2:00PM

Rudy Gay has been added to the Injury Report and is listed as DOUBTFUL with Gastroenteritis.

Darren Collison (left hamstring strain) is OUT for tonight's game. No. 7 is averaging 15.8 points and 5.2 assists per game on the season.

Additionally, Seth Curry (right ankle sprain) has been upgraded to PROBABLE.

Seth, who hasn't played since his best statistical game as a pro, hopes to return after missing three games.

injury-report-kings-vs-nets-2

Injury Report: Kings vs Nets

SACRAMENTO, CA - The Sacramento Kings announced today that guard Darren Collison underwent successful surgery to repair a core muscle injury. The procedure was performed by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia at the Vincera Institute.

Collison will begin rehabilitation immediately and is expected to be out for approximately six weeks.

[SEE ALSO: Kings at Knicks Injury Update]

The 6-0 guard is averaging 16.1 points (.473 FG%, .373 3pt%, .788 FT%), 3.2 rebounds, a team-high 5.6 assists, 1.5 steals and 34.8 minutes per game in starting all 45 games he has played in this season for the Kings.

darren-collison-undergoes-successful-surgery

Darren Collison Undergoes Successful Surgery

Steven Wilson

Chesapeake Energy Arena hasn’t been kind to the Sacramento Kings over the six years since the Thunder became its main tenants. OKC holds an 11-0 advantage dating back to the team’s first matchup in Oklahoma in February of 2009.  However, the one key constant in those games was reining NBA MVP Kevin Durant and explosive lead guard Russell Westbrook. KD has missed the entire season due to a right foot Jones fracture sustained over the summer and his running mate Westbrook suffered a second metacarpal fracture less than a week into the season.

The Kings now come into the matchup as the presumptive favorite boasting a 5-1 record to the Thunder’s 1-5 mark and Sacramento will look to earn its first win in Oklahoma City since the team arrived in 2008.

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Comcast - 34 / 721
Dish - 446 / 9516
Dish Hopper – 412-34
DirecTV - 698-1
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Rudy Gay, who was struggling with sickness much of the day, drained a baseline jumper over the Suns defense with 1:07 remaining in double-overtime to put his team up for good as Sacramento’s defense earned three consecutive defensive stops to close the game and walk away from Phoenix with their fifth consecutive victory.

"It was tough. Super tough," said Gay, who scored 11 points on 5-of-22 shooting from the floor. "You have to keep fighting. The coach kept calling my number and no matter what he had faith in me and I kept fighting."

DeMarcus Cousins finished with 25 points and a season-high 18 rebounds. Darren Collison scored 16 and Ben McLemore, who made a deep triple with just 1:49 to go to put his team up 112-11 and set the stage for Gay’s clutch jumper, added 15 points of his own thanks to 5-of-9 shooting.

“Phoenix came out on us early, hit us in the mouth and it was an uphill battle from the beginning of the game,” said Cousins after the game. “We stuck with it, stayed poised and played through adversity and came out with a very, very tough win.

The Suns jumped out to a 36-25 lead after the first period and led by as much as 12 in the game. But the Kings maintained composure and came up with keep defense stops down the stretch.

“In the first quarter, we weren’t ready to play,” admitted Head Coach Michael Malone. “We gave up 36 points and they shoot over 60% from the field. But the amazing stat was by the end of the game we get it down to 42%, but in the fourth quarter and both overtimes, we held that team to 26%. That’s 22 minutes of basketball and we held them to 26%... We held our composure, we were poised and guys kept on battling. Everybody made big plays. We got key stops down the stretch where we needed.”

Sacramento’s strong defensive 2nd half and timely buckets helped the Kings outlast Phoenix in double-overtime, beginning the season 5-1 for the first time since 1999-00 − a club that opened the season 9-1.

The victory also marked the first time the Kings have won five straight contests since the 2006-07 season and three straight road games for the time since the 1995-96 campaign.

While Darren Collison, DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay all joined the team at different times and in different ways, their play on the hardwood has been in unison. One was added this past offseason, one was drafted in 2010 and one was added in December of 2013, but each has been in sync and have carried the offensive load at points this year.

Big Cuz leads with way with 24.2 points and 11.8 rebounds per game, showing why he has a legitimate shot at making the All-Star team come February. Meanwhile, No. 8 is right on his heels with 22.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per outing. DC7 is currently third in scoring with 15.2 ppg, but has distributed a team-high 6.2 assists per game.

The potency of this three-headed attack has helped the Kings average the fourth-highest points per game this year (105.5).

“It just shows you how our team is coming together,” stated Cousins after the team’s win over Phoenix on Friday night. “Even through the tough times and adversity, even when things aren’t going our way, we found a way. Tonight, I feel like we showed a will to win and our team is continuing to grow every day − we get better every day. At the end of the night, as a team we still aren’t satisfied. We know we still have another level to go to and still have lots of improvement.”

Seventh-year pro Carl Landry was impressive against the Suns hitting 6-of-8 attempts from the floor for 12 points, while adding a season-high 8 rebounds.

“Giving my team an extra opportunity to have possessions is huge,” said Landry after the team’s practice on Thursday. “That’s exactly what we need. Competing against guys like Eric Moreland, Reggie Evans, Ryan Hollins, DeMarcus Cousins and Jason Thompson every day in practice − our rebound game is crazy − so you have to find a way to get some rebounds.”

His productive night left him with the Kings highest plus-minus ratio at plus-19. In all, No. 24 racked up 37 minutes on the floor − nearly 14 more than any other game this season.

“I’m just trying to take it a day at a time and make sure that I improve every week,” he continued. “As long as you’re taking steps in the right direction, that’s all you can ask for after suffering two major injuries within the last year.”

After dropping a season-high 18 points on Denver earlier this week, Landry earned his praise from his coach who stated, “When Carl gives you a low-post presence like that off the bench − a guy you can play through to get a bucket or get to the free throw line − that’s very comforting as a coach.”

Malone also mentioned his familiarity with the 6-foot-7 forward stating that it’s his third time coaching Carl following stints with him in New Orleans, Golden State and Sacramento.

“He stepped up big for us [in New Orleans] when David West went out with an injury,” said Malone on Thursday. “He was big for us in Golden State when we beat Denver in the first round and gave San Antonio a tremendous second-round matchup. So when we signed him, that was the Carl Landry we envisioned. Unfortunately with injuries last year, we never saw that… The biggest thing now is his confidence. With him having those types of games − scoring, getting to the free throw line and even playing good post defense against the likes of Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge − his confidence is getting back to where it needs to be.”

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Preview: Kings (5-1) at Thunder (1-5)

The purple and black look to extend their four-game win streak Friday night against a potent Phoenix Suns team led by guards Goran Dragić, Eric Bledsoe and former Kings guard Isaiah Thomas. All three players are shooting over 41-percent this year and are averaging a combined 44 points.

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Comcast - 34 / 721
Dish - 452 / 9574
Dish Hopper – 412-40
DirecTV - 698-1
AT&amp;T - 768 / 1768Radio – KHTK Sports 1140 AM

Join Kings Dancers and fellow fans to watch as Sacramento visits Phoenix looking for its fifth-straight win. Firestone will feature the Pacific Division showdown across its 22 flatscreen TVs. Plus, enjoy drink specials and giveaways throughout game. RSVP

It’s not often a team can earn a standing ovation in the first quarter of a game in November, but that was the case Wednesday night in Sacramento.

Fans exalted with appreciation as Sacramento took a 21-point lead into the final minute of the first quarter. With DeMarcus Cousins leading the way, shooting 6-for-7 and tallying 16 points, Sacramento was nearly 70 percent from the field in the opening frame. Big Cuz (30) and Rudy Gay (29) combined for 59 points as Sacramento rode a stellar first quarter to a 22-point victory, 131-109.

“In the first and third quarter, our defense was phenomenal,” said Head Coach Michael Malone. “Then in the second quarter, we allowed 35 points, and then we 37 allowed in the fourth quarter. I’m happy that we won and happy with all of the good things that we did, but I don’t want us to create poor habits. To allow a team to score 37 points in the third quarter, the way that they did—I told our team that is unacceptable. I do feel good about the win and we protected our home court, but we understand that we have to hold ourselves to a higher standard. We have to defend for 48 minutes.”

Following the lead of DMC, who earned his third double-double of the season with 30 points and 11 rebounds, the Kings had six players finish with at least 10 points. One such player was Carl Landry, who totaled a season-high 18 points on 4-of-6 shooting and a 10-of-10 clip from the charity stripe.

“Any time you can continue a win streak − four games in a row for the first time in 10 or 11 years in Sacramento − is definitely a good feeling,” said No 24 after practice on Thursday. “The fans have been behind us from day one and since the day I walked in to the city of Sacramento.”

As Carl Landry stated in practice on Thursday afternoon, ‘you can’t gauge the season off of one road-trip,’ but this week’s four-game road-trip will be a crucial test for the upstart Kings.

“These are all good teams − they have all proven themselves in the Western Conference, so we’re just going to have to go out there and just keep playing the way we’ve been playing,” said rookie Nik Stauskas.

Even after the team returns from its four-game road-trip, the opponents still feature two playoff teams from a year ago. Upon return to Sacramento, the Kings face San Antonio, New Orleans and Chicago at home. That makes a whopping five of the next seven opponents contenders in the 2014 NBA Playoffs.

“If we struggle a bit on this road-trip, there’s no need to panic,” said Malone. “We’re a team that’s a work in progress. We’re playing well right now, but there’s a lot of area for improvement. And that’s encouraging − to be 4-1 knowing that we still have a lot of work to do.”

With a potent offense and smothering defense, Sacramento is off to its best start since the 2001-02 season. The River City is averaging 103.8 points per outing through five games, while shooting 43.8-percent from the floor. Meanwhile, the defense is also holding teams to the fourth-worst 3-point shooting percentage this season (27-percent).

“The areas of concern for me right now is we’re [ranked] 21st in fast-break points allowed and 21st in free throw attempts allowed,” said Malone. “We’ll have our challenges [tonight]. They’re a tremendous running team − a team that puts a lot of pressure on you, so we can’t be satisfied − we have to address all the areas of concern. It’s better to address those through wins rather than losses.”

The Suns enter tonight’s matchup with a 3-2 record with a pair of wins against the Los Angeles Lakers and another over the San Antonio Spurs. Yet the team has suffered two losses over the last three games, most recently to the Memphis Grizzlies.

“Coming off a loss at home at the hands of Memphis, they’re going to come out in attack mode,” said Sacramento’s Head Coach Michael Malone. “They’re a tremendous running team and they put a lot of pressure on you. They have three guards in [Goran] Dragić, [Eric] Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas who are going to attack for 48 minutes.”

The Suns are 13th in the League (Kings are 6th) averaging 101.4 points per game. In their three wins however, that number rises to 108 ppg, compared to just 91 in both of Phoenix’s losses.

“In their building, they’re going to try to run you out of the gym,” continued Malone. “Memphis beat them up by slowing the game down and held them to 91 points.”

The Kings gameplan features three key principles. First, they will focus on taking care of the basketball − limiting their turnovers and making the most of their possessions. In line with the first goal, the second strategy is to ensure great shot selection, all in a means to make their possessions count. Lastly, Sacramento will try to replicate Memphis’ success by slowing the game down.

“Scoring can be hard in this League,” admitted Carl Landry. “You don’t want to give up easy buckets in transition, especially on the road. That’s what we’re trying to do − continue to play solid defense and limit the team from easy buckets.”

Landry has been a solid offensive presence off the bench for the Kings thus far this season averaging 9.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. That includes the second-most offensive rebounds on the team (10).

“Giving my team an extra opportunity to have possessions is huge,” stated No. 24 when asked if rebounding was his forte. “That’s exactly what we need. Competing against guys like Eric Moreland, Reggie Evans, Ryan Hollins, DeMarcus Cousins and Jason Thompson every day in practice − our rebound game is crazy − so you have to find a way to get some rebounds.”

With seven years of experience under his belt, Landry knows how crucial this road-trip could be for the Kings late in the season.

“Going in to this four-game road-trip isn’t going to be easy,” he admitted. “Any time you can get a win on the road is huge.”

The Kings know it, the Suns know it and the fans know it.

All eyes will be on Isaiah Thomas as he partakes in his first meeting against his former team.

“The Phoenix game is going to be a little emotional,” admitted Rudy Gay. “Hopefully those emotions don’t get the best of us. They’re a good team − they have three guards who can score and create mismatches.”

After averaging career numbers last season in a Kings jersey with over 20-points and 6-assists per game, Thomas signed as a free agent with division-rival Phoenix. Now, Sacramento will face their former No. 60 pick in a Friday night tilt in the Grand Canyon State.

“I’m sure Isaiah has this game marked in his calendar,” said Malone.

“I have nothing but love for him − he’s tremendous. I really enjoyed coaching him and getting to know him and we have a great relationship. He’s playing really well for the Phoenix Suns right now, so we’re happy for him. But tomorrow night, he’s on the opposing bench and we’re trying to get a win.”

A 2011 Draft pick of the Kings, Malone described Thomas as a confident ball-handler who can shoot the three very well, get into the paint and find open teammates.

“We have to make sure that we are very physical with him and try to get into the ball on our pick-n-rolls,” said Malone when asked about how he will defend the 5-foot-9 point guard.

Power forward Jason Thompson added, “It’s not [one guy] versus him. It’s the Suns versus the Kings. We just need to keep the same mindset that we’ve had through the first week of the season and positive things are going to happen.”

Whatever happens, Malone knows one thing is certain.

“He’s a [great] player and we’ll have our work cut out for us,” the second-year Kings coach concluded.

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Preview: Kings (4-1) at Suns (3-2)

In each of the Sacramento Kings wins this season, a player has stepped up and handled the scoring load. Against Portland, Rudy Gay tallied 40, against L.A., DeMarcus Cousins scored 34 and against Denver, Darren Collison earned a game-high 21 points. So who will step up on Wednesday night as the Kings look for back-to-back wins against the Nuggets?

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Comcast - 34 / 721
Dish - 444 / 9539
Dish Hopper – 412-39
DirecTV - 698-1
AT&amp;T - 768 / 1768Radio – KHTK Sports 1140 AM

Led by Darren Collison’s 21-point, 6-assist outing, Sacramento’s 110-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night took an entire-team effort.

While Collison handled the early scoring duties, tallying 11 of his game-high 21 points in the first 24 minutes, DeMarcus Cousins was sound once again on the offensive end as he chipped in 19 points and 5 rebounds. Rudy Gay was clutch in the second half totaling 12 of his 14 points after halftime.

Meanwhile, Carl Landry (14pts), Ramon Sessions (13pts), Reggie Evans (14rebs), and Ray McCallum (4pts) all provided a spark off Sacramento’s bench to help the team win its third consecutive game and second in a row on the road.

“We talked about that in the locker room, from the starters to the bench,” stated Head Coach Michael Malone to the media after the win. “Reggie Evans coming in getting 14 rebounds, Ray McCallum − giving him the opportunity to play − he stepped up, played very good defense on [Arron] Afflalo, and scored a couple of baskets. But everyone that’s coming into the game − it’s a total team effort. You know our offense needs work but when you hold teams to 39% shooting, we will take it. ”

Following the offense’s lead, the defense put on a clinic holding Denver to 36 field goals on 93 total attempts, including 21-percent from beyond the arc, while forcing 15 turnovers.

“First off, it’s a back-to-back and [the first one was in] Denver so that’s tough for any team,” said DeMarcus Cousins. “Denver is a tough place to play as everybody knows, but I think we willed our way to this win, we played pretty tough tonight and grinded this win out.”

On the Road with the Kings Equipment Manager

Whether it’s Rudy Gay dropping 40 on the Trail Blazers, DeMarcus Cousins hanging 34 on the Clippers or Darren Collison hitting 11−of−13 free throws and scoring 21 points to lead his team to victory in Denver, the Kings have seen a barrage of scoring threats this season.

Add to that the defense’s ability to hold teams to 40−percent shooting from the field through four games this season, while forcing 58 turnovers and blocking 21 shots, and Sacramento is looking like a complete team.

“Honestly, I can say it’s the defense, we’re playing some pretty tough defense right now,” said DeMarcus Cousins about the team’s strong start to the media on Monday night. “That’s the start and on top of that we’re playing so well together and the chemistry is coming along great. The biggest thing is we’re just playing together. Any given night it’s somebody’s night, one night it was Rudy [Gay], one night it was me and tonight it was Darren [Collison]. In our mind it doesn’t matter who it is as long as we get the win, and that’s the way it should be. ”

Before Monday night, DC7 had faced Denver 13 times, but was averaging just 10.6 points per matchup. Then he exploded for a game-high 21 points on 5-of-9 shooting (55−percent). Even went he went to the bench, Collison was cheering on his teammates and giving them directions about where to be on the court.

The Comcast SportsNet camera crews also showcased the team’s chemistry down the stretch when No. 7 was fouled after grabbing a defensive rebound. Knowing Collison could seal the win with a pair of free throws, Rudy Gay ran up to him, got him in a head lock and gave him a noogie as a wide smile crossed both of their faces.

“I don’t see any other way,” said Collison about his cheering. “It’s the only way we are actually winning games against good teams on the road. You need that chemistry, you need that cohesiveness, and guys are just having so much fun playing with one another. Being supportive off the bench − that’s where it starts. ”

The Kings have six players shooting over .400 this season including DMC, Rudy and Collison, but Carl Landry and Omri Casspi are leading the way with 56.5 and 56.3 shooting percentages, respectively.

“Our bench is just as big as we are − we are no different than them,” said Collison after Monday’s win. “There are going to be some nights where our bench is going to pick us up and this happened to be the night. The starters didn’t have it going, [but] the bench came in and did what they had to do.”

Landry − a seventh−year pro who is a just one season removed from two major surgeries − is fresh off a 14−point, 7−for−12 night against the Nuggets. No. 24 is fourth on the team in scoring with 7.8 ppg and ranks second behind Big Cuz with 9 offensive rebounds, all the while providing a flash off the bench.

Meanwhile, Casspi is right on Landry’s heels with 7.3 ppg and the same number of rebounds (13). Now in his second stint with the team and in his fifth year, No. 18 understands the offense and perfectly executes his coach’s offensive strategy.

Nearly two-thirds of Casspi’s shot attempts have come within two seconds of touching the ball and 93−percent of the time, he’s shooting before taking more than two dribbles. Both are fundamental principles of Malone’s selfless offensive gameplan.

Against the Nuggets, Casspi scored nine points on 3-of-7 shooting, while adding 3-of-4 from the charity stripe. The Israel native also tallied four assists and a block in 27 minutes of playing time.

“I really want to say that our second group kept us in the game − they played incredible in the beginning of the fourth,” said DeMarcus Cousins. “They definitely kept us in this game and got the momentum going for us. They gave the starters enough time to get some rest and come in and seal the game. I think the bench has done an incredible job, especially tonight and like I said it was a good win all around for our team. ”

Nuggets First Team to Eclipse Century Mark

Entering Monday night’s game, the Kings were allowing only 94 points per game to opponents. But despite shooting just 39−percent in the game, Denver racked up 105 points inside the Pepsi Center − thanks to 33 total free throw attempts and 84−percent shooting from the charity stripe − making them the first team to surpass the century mark against the Kings this season.

After the loss, Denver’s head coach Brian Shaw told the media, “We have to shoot the ball better, particularly from the three-point line. We scored enough points to win as ugly as we played offensively − 105 points − but we couldn’t overcome the 47 free-throws, the 40 points on the free-throw line, as well as the layups in the fourth quarter.”

Shaw knows the free throw line was the key to game-one of a back-to-back series.

“We are not going to win very many games at all when we give up 47 free-throw attempts to a team like we did tonight,” continued the Nuggets second-year coach. “We talked about it and emphasized that in the preseason. [Sacramento] did it then [got to the line] in the preseason and they did it again tonight to us.”

Through one week of the regular season, the Kings are currently second in the NBA averaging 37.5 free throw attempts per game trailing only the Toronto Raptors (40 attempts per game). Sacramento is also the third−best free throw shooting team with an 82.7 average from the charity stripe.

The purple and black also rank in the top-five in the League in rebounding (2nd − 52.7 rpg), defensive rebounding (1st − 35.8 drpg), win percentage (5th − 75%), blocks attempted (3rd − 7.5 bapg) and turnovers (3rd − 18.8 tpg).

The Kings sit in second place in the Pacific Division with their 3−1 start trailing only the Golden State Warriors, who are unbeaten at 3−0. Houston and Memphis also hold perfect records − both teams are 4−0 − this season and are tied atop the Southwest Division.

preview-kings-3-1-vs-nuggets-1-2

Preview: Kings (3-1) vs Nuggets (1-2)

Sacramento’s 110-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night was a complete-team effort.

Point guard Darren Collison handled the early scoring duties as he tallied 11 of his game-high 21 points in the first 24 minutes. DeMarcus Cousins was sound once again on the offensive end as he chipped in 19 points and 5 rebounds. Rudy Gay was clutch in the second half totaling 12 of his 14 points after halftime.

Following the offense’s lead, the defense put on a clinic holding Denver to 39-percent shooting on 93 total attempts, including 21-percent from beyond the arc while forcing 15 turnovers.

The Kings entered Monday night’s game as one of the top defenses in the League and as one of the best free throw shooting teams, ranking 4th in total free throw attempts this season.

The team continued that streak inside the Pepsi Center earning a total of 47 trips to the charity stripe. Sacramento made 40 freebies (85-percent), including an 11-for-13 clip from Collison and a perfect 10-for-10 clip from Sessions.

Each team was slow out of the gates as both shot under 35-percent from the field in the first half. DMC was the first player to put the Kings on the scoreboard as he displayed his strength and soft hands snagging a pass in traffic and finishing the layup despite being fouled. The 6-foot-11 center drained the free throw to tie the game early, 3-3.

Sacramento started 2-for-9 from the floor, but the Kings defense held the Nuggets to 1-of-11 in the first five minutes of action.

With less than three minutes left in the first qurter, Jason Thompson followed a missed shot and hammered home a two-handed dunk with aggression. However, the Nuggets would retake the lead shortly after.

Trailing 22-19 at the first quarter break, head coach Michael Malone inserted Landry who provided a quick four points in the first minute of the frame. Sessions added a pair of free throws and the Kings regained their lead, 25-23.

The teams went back and forth over the next minute as Nate Robinson tallied a pair of buckets - the second from long range - to push his team out in front by two before Derrick Williams snagged an offensive board and enthusiastically slammed it back through the net.

No. 13 was productive in the limited time he saw in the first half adding four rebounds and five points.

Collison and Cousins were the only two Kings in double-figures in the first half as they combined for 23 points. Meanwhile, the reserves tallied 22 as Sacramento held a 51-46 lead after the first half of play.

Shooting under 40-percent in the first stanza, both teams started to find their rhythm in the second half as the Kings connected on 5 of their first 9 shots of the third period and the Nuggets hit 50-percent of their attempts (7-for-14).

Collison found his sweet spot on the floor as he drained a trio of buckets to surpass the 15-point plateau midway through the third. He also found Ben McLemore on an alley-oop jam in transition.

The home team kept the game close with strong shooting. After hitting just 15 of 44 tries in the first half (34-percent), the Nuggets hit 40-percent of their 49 attempts after halftime. But thanks to the strong play of the Kings backcourt, Sacramento maintained its lead.

Sessions tallied 7 points in the second half and drained a crucial three in the fourth period. Meanwhile, Ray McCallum scored four points in the final frame - including a picturesque fast break layup - and provided solid defense.

Down the stretch, the Kings looked to their star small forward, who added a pair of buckets late in the game to keep the Kings out in front - the second of which was part of three-point play. Gay finished with 14 points - his fourth consecutive double-digit scoring outing.

Collison drained three of four free throw attempts in the final minute giving the purple and black their third-consecutive victory.

Exhibiting his multi-dimensional offensive abilities, Darren Collison scored at will against the Nuggets defense as well as found open teammates. No. 7 finished the game with 21 points, six assists, four rebounds, and had just two turnovers in nearly 30 minutes of action.

DC also started 7-for-7 from the free throw line, where the Kings have done a fair amount of damage this season. Collison has scored in double-figures in each of his four games as a member of the Kings averaging 16.2 points per contest and 6.5 assists per game.

The Kings big man finished Monday night with the second-most points (19) of any player in the game trailing only Collison. Cousins connected on 46-percent of his shots against the Nuggets and 77-percent of his free throw attempts. No. 15 will look for another strong performance against Denver this Wednesday as the teams meet again, this time in Sacramento.

Although he struggled to find his rhythm in the first period, Rudy Gay made his impact felt in other ways. He tallied three assists and snagged three boards for his team in 12 minutes of action in the opening stanza.

His offensive struggles faded quickly in the second half.

Gay found the net within the first 20 seconds of the third frame on a long jumper, ultimately scoring 12 of his 14 points after halftime. No. 8 earned six of those points from the free throw line where he is shooting 86-percent this year.

Providing a spark off the bench, Carl Landry entered the game at the start of the second period and hit three of his first five shots from the floor for six points. No. 24 showed his ability to score at the rim, twice converting tough buckets underneath the hoop. The seventh-year pro finished with 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting.

The Kings will head home for a rematch with the Nuggets Wednesday night at 6:30 P.M. (PST). Get Tickets