In Sacramento’s final game of a three-game home stand, the team put together a solid overall performance – out-rebounding, out-assisting and out-shooting Houston in a 10-point victory. The win marked the Kings third consecutive and moved the squad to 8-7 at home on the season.
The purple and black jumped out to an early 11-2 run, continuing a recent tendency of hot starts and although Houston quickly climbed back to tie the game at the end of the first, Sacramento used a strong defensive final three quarters to hold the Rockets at bay.
Tuesday’s game was the team’s fourth consecutive in which a they held their opponent to low 40 percent shooting. Despite James Harden’s 33 points, the home team allowed last season’s MVP Runner-Up to score just six points in the final frame and allowed just one basket in the game’s final three-plus minutes.
"I thought [Rudy's] defense over the last five or six games has been very vastly improved,” said head coach George Karl following the game. "His pace and tempo of that game to hold that team to under 96 [points] that is capable of 120 is pretty good.”
DeMarcus Cousins led Sacramento with 26 points and 12 rebounds – his 12th double-double of the season – while Rudy Gay and Omri Casspi combined for 36 points and 19 rebounds in the victory.
- Marco Belinelli finished with nine points, all in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter on back-to-back-to-back three-pointers.
- Rudy Gay recorded a career-high six steals and his third double-double of the season.
- Darren Collison recorded a double-double (14 points and a season-high 13 assists).
- Tuesday night marked the first time in the Sacramento-era in which the team won despite turning over the ball over 29 times.
Highlights
The squad will now begin a four-game road trip on Friday night in Minnesota.
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