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Kings Tie Franchise RECORD with 20 3-Pointers Made | Kings vs. Raptors

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Kings vs Raptors Highlights 11/15/15

Shahbaz Khan

The Kings have resiliently fought through the past two games and emerged victorious on the backs of DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo.

The duo will look to continue their impressive play when they face Toronto on Sunday night. Rondo has a chance at further cementing his name in Sacramento record books after becoming the first Sacramento-era player to tally three triple-doubles in four games.

Equally as impressive are Boogie's performances of late - just a few games removed from an achilles injury, he's scored 73 combined points in his last two games on 50 percent shooting from the field.

The Raptors stand at 7-3, with impressive wins on the road over the Thunder and Mavericks. Their offense begins and ends with point guard Kyle Lowry, who has scored 20 or more points in his past three games. For the purple and black to grab another win, they'll need to first stop Lowry.

TV – Comcast
Comcast – 34/721
Dish – 450-9573
Hopper – 412-38
DirecTV – 698-1
AT&amp;T – 768/1768Radio – KHTK Sports 1140 AM

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Preview: Kings (3-7) vs Raptors (7-3)

Steven Wilson

On his 21st birthday, the Kings rookie put on an impressive show for Sacramento fans as the home team earned a 113-106 victory.

The 2014 draftee tallied 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including a perfect 2-for-2 from long range.

DeMarcus Cousins (19), Omri Casspi (15), Ben McLemore (12) and Jason Thompson (11) joined Stauskas in double-figures scoring, as the purple and black earned their first preseason win. 

Despite a slow start to the game, the Kings ended the first quarter on a 7-0 run to pull within one, 25-24. Thompson helped keep Sacramento in reach as he tallied four points and four rebounds in the first frame.

Then, Stauskas and Co. kicked it up a notch.

Through six minutes of the second period, Sacramento shot 5-of-7 (71% FG). The offensive spurt gave the home team a 36-28 lead before the Raptors closed the gap.

Toronto responded with a 7-2 run to tie the game at 44-all with three minutes remaining before intermission.

Thanks to a four-point play by Stauskas, the Kings closed the first half on a 9-2 run to take a 56-50 lead into the break.

Cousins, who scored six points in the second period, was part of a dominant first half performance as the Kings outscored their guests, 32-18, in the paint and 12-5 in second-chance points.

DMC’s onslaught continued in the third period as the fifth-year pro added 13 points to propel the Kings to a 33-26 advantage in the quarter.

With an 89-76 lead in the fourth, McLemore helped the home team seal the win, as he scored six of his 12 points in the final period.

With a hand in his face, Nik Stauskas connected on a corner three for his first Sleep Train Arena basket with 7:41 left in the first period.

“I’m hitting shots right now, which is good,” stated Stauskas. “That’s what this team needs me to do – knock down shots and stretch the floor. I just need to stay aggressive and keep playing my role for this team.”

In the second half, Stauskas put his deceptive athleticism on display as he nailed a pair of step-back jumpers. The 6-foot-6 guard capped his 13-point night with a back-door cut that led to a two-handed jam off a dish from Cousins.

“I always feel like if I’m aggressive, good things are going to happen out there,” continued Stauskas. 

Despite playing less than 18 minutes, DeMarcus Cousins was in a groove. The Kings big man missed just one of seven shots against the Raptors and connected on seven free throws en route to 19 points. Recognizing his efficiency, teammates continually found him. 

While pushing the pace in the team’s rematch with the Raptors, Sacramento’s point guard duo posted solid numbers. Collison and Sessions combined to tally 16 points, 11 assists and just four turnovers.

The pair, who saw significant time on-court together, proved to be a dynamic tandem. While Sessions tallied six assists and zero turnovers, Collison stepped up on defense – forcing a pair of turnovers in the first quarter alone.

“I can play either one of those guys separately, they can back each other up or they can play together at times,” stated Coach Michael Malone. “They’re both having very good Training Camps… Ramon was effective. I loved how Darren came into the game off the bench and changed the whole complexion of the game.”

Despite holding a double-digit lead late in the fourth quarter, No. 7 kept attacking Toronto’s defense. The UCLA alum picked up his fifth assist of the night as he passed up a three-point attempt, drove through two defenders and found Ryan Hollins on a feed for the open dunk.

“I love DC,” said Cousins. “He’s a great floor leader, he’s always communicating and he’s always uplifting.”

Jason Thompson finished one rebound shy of a double-double on Tuesday night, registering 11 points and nine rebounds.

“Jason did a good job,” said Malone. “I started him the first night and brought him off the bench tonight, and he was effective.”

No. 34 also contributed two blocks and a steal in more than 25 minutes of work.

“The ball was moving,” said Thompson. “We didn’t turn the ball over as much as we did in Vancouver, so that was good. I am a fan of moving the ball and the faster pace – that’s more of my style.”

Always in the right place at the right time, Omri Casspi quietly put together a solid game. The sixth-year pro had eight points in his first eight minutes of action and finished the night with 15 on 4-of-7 shooting. Casspi aggressively drove to the basket, battled for rebounds and drained 6-of-8 freebies from the charity stripe.

“I was just trying to be ready and do what I need to help the team win,” said No. 18.

“We have a talented group – I feel like we could be a playoff team, but it’s going to take a lot of hard work and a lot of sacrifice from one another.” 

Toronto’s Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan seemed nearly unstoppable on Tuesday night. The backcourt mates combined for 48 points on 18-of-29 shooting, while Lowry also added a Raptors-high six assists.

Back-to-back buckets from Ben McLemore in the fourth period pushed the Kings past 100 points for the first time this season. Sacramento hit the 100-point plateau 46 times during the 2013-14 season.

“It’s always good to get a win, and we had a lot of positives tonight,” said Cousins. “We did pretty well on the offensive end, but it wasn’t so good on defense… We did a better job on turnovers, but defensively we have to pick it up.” 

The Kings head to Shanghai and Beijing to face the Brooklyn Nets in back-to-back games in China on Oct. 11 and 15, respectively.

Catch all the action of Sacramento’s participation in the Global Games on NBA TV.  

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DMC, Nik Lead Kings to W

The Kings return home for a rematch with the Toronto Raptors. Hear from Rudy Gay, Coach Malone and Nik Stauskas as the team looks to even its preseason record in front of the Sacramento faithful.

Broadcast: TV – CSNCA
Comcast - 34 / 721
Dish - 441 / 9579
DirecTV - 698-1
AT&amp;T - 768 / 1768Radio – KHTK Sports 1140 AM

Preseason play allows coaches to find player combinations that mesh and play well together. Following practice on Monday, Coach Malone says he will continue to rotate players into the starting lineup before the regular-season opener on the 29th.

“We have six more [preseason] games and we’ll continue to change it up in regards to who will start at the one, who will start at the two and who will start at the four,” said Malone.

The only two players who have guaranteed starting roles are DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay. The duo shined in Vancouver, combining for a team-high plus-15, 22 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks.

The rotation will also see smaller lineups, such as a two-point guard system, which the team ran at times on Sunday night.

“We played Ramon and Darren together quite a bit, with Ben or Nik at the three-man position,” said Malone on Monday.

Point guards Darren Collison and Ramon Sessions both demonstrated an ability to speed up the game and keep teammates involved. No. 7 tallied six assists and just one turnover, while No. 9 added three assists.

While both veteran guards have the ability to run Sacramento’s offense, each showcased an ability to score in bunches as well. Sessions earned a team-high 14 points, while Collison added 13 on 5-of-7 shooting.

“We did a lot of good things,” Malone told the media one day removed from the game. “There are a lot of things we could learn from and we went over that during our film session and in practice.”

“We want to run, but run with discipline.”

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Kings vs. Raptors Preview

sacjwise

Throughout the offseason, Kings General Manager Pete D’Alessandro searched for depth to add to a Sacramento Kings squad that finished 28-54 in 2013-14 and featured two top-tier talents – DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay – in the starting rotation.

In Sacramento’s first preseason game, the team’s new additions were quick to make an impact.

Reserves Nik Stauskas, selected in the 2014 NBA Draft, and Ramon Sessions, acquired as a free agent, paced the team in scoring in the first half with eight points apiece. Sessions also tallied three assists for a team preaching more ball movement.

Fellow newcomer Ryan Hollins also generated immediate impact, blocking a shot in the first half and altering several others. Hollins is a welcome addition to a squad that finished 27th overall in blocked shots per game a season ago.

Following the lead of their new teammates, Sacramento turned to its two stars in the third quarter and used a 33-21 spurt to take a 75-68 lead into the fourth. Cousins tallied nine of his 13 points, while Gay added seven in the frame.

The Raptors started the fourth quarter on a 13-2 run until Stauskas’ driving layup with 5:26 remaining stemmed the tide.

Derrick Williams nailed a jumper with less than four minutes to play, giving the Kings a two-point lead, but Sacramento was unable to slow Toronto’s final attack.

Two Tyler Hansbrough free throws with 1:53 to play followed by a 3-point-play from Lou Williams put the game out of reach, as the Kings were outscored 31-19 in the fourth quarter.

Kings rookie Nik Stauskas, known for his lights-out shooting, proved just that as he began his Sacramento career with three consecutive buckets.

The first two came from long distance as No. 10 dialed in from 25-plus-feet on a beautiful feed from Derrick Williams, then several possessions later on a find from Darren Collison in the corner.

Kings Head Coach Michael Malone knows he’ll need to lean on his talented duo over the course of the upcoming 82-game season. The Kings leader opted to play Cousins and Gay sparingly, as both saw less than 24 minutes of action. In the short time the gold-medal pair did see action, they combined for a team-high plus-15. 

Twelve-year veteran Reggie Evans remains ageless when it comes to grabbing rebounds. The Pensacola native pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds in just 21 minutes. 

The Kings head home to host a rematch with the Raptors in Sacramento’s preseason home opener Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. at Sleep Train Arena.

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Kings Show Depth in Preseason Opener

Nik Stauskas and Co. make their preseason debut against No. 10’s hometown team today at 4 p.m. PDT in Vancouver, Canada.

Broadcast: TV – N/A  |  Radio – KHTK Sports 1140 AM

“The starting lineup isn’t always about being the five best players – the starting lineup is a group that plays best together,” said Kings Head Coach Michael Malone. “You always want to have certain guys coming off your bench to give you a spark.”

The first of many lineup combinations Coach Malone will place on the floor.

“Right now, we have our normal, big lineup with a traditional power forward and center,” said Malone. “Then you can go to your position-less basketball with one big and four smalls, which we have not done a whole lot of to this point. But as the month of October progresses, we’ll keep adding stuff and we will get to those lineups.

“It’s going to take some time to create that chemistry and trust on the court. Getting guys used to playing with each other doesn’t happen overnight. Anything we can do in practice to accelerate it, we’re going to try to do.

“We’ll figure out who we’ll choose as a starting group and who we want to give minutes to, but it’s impossible to play 18 guys meaningful minutes in a preseason game. So like I did last year, we’ll use different lineups on different nights to see who takes advantage of the opportunity and who plays well with each other.”

“We have a new style of offense that we’re trying to run,” said Kings forward Jason Thompson. “The only way we can run is to … get stops, finish rebounds and run – try to get easy points, but don’t force it.

“It’s a new system even from last year, so I feel like a new guy a little bit.

“[We try to play at a faster] pace and there’s more movement. Last year, there was a lot of isolation. Now, we’re getting out and running and making the extra pass. The offense has a lot of rhythm and motion.”

“It takes time,” said Kings guard Darren Collison. “I think everybody needs to understand that and not get frustrated with the process. It is a long learning process, but if we come in with the mindset every single day that we’re going to get ready to learn and improve upon our previous day, then we’ll be fine.”

“Compete and execute,” said Coach Malone when asked what he wants to see from Sacramento on Sunday. “It’s very simple, but I think our competitive effort and spirit has been very good throughout Training Camp and, at times, our ability to take care of the basketball and execute is not where it needs to be. That’s to be expected. It’s still early. There are a lot of new things we’re putting in.”