CSN Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SACRAMENTO -– The Kings put together a solid all-around effort to defeat the Cavaliers 103-84 at Sleep Train Arena.

DeMarcus Cousins scored 26 points to go along with 13 rebounds, and Rudy Gay poured in 23 points for Sacramento (16-21).

Darren Collison added 16 points and six assists, Carl Landry added nine points, and Jason Thompson contributed seven points and 10 rebounds in the win.

Cleveland (19-19) was led by Kevin Love’s 25 points and 10 rebounds while Kyrie Irving scored 21 points and had seven assists.

Sacramento led by as many as 27 points in the second half and cruised to victory.

For Sacramento, a win versus Cleveland without LeBron James, Shawn Marion and Iman Shumpert due to injuries still represents taking care of business.

The Kings took care of the basketball as well, committing a season-low five turnovers to improve to 2-1 on their current six-game homestand.

The second quarter was the turning point as the Kings outscored Cleveland 29-15 in the stanza with a combined 23 points from Cousins (7), Gay (6), Ben McLemore (5) and Derrick Williams (5) to take a 59-44 lead into the locker room.

The Kings committed only one turnover in the first half, and also shut down Cleveland in the second quarter, allowing just 15 points while keeping the visitors to just 32 percent from the floor.

In sharp contrast to the stingy defensive effort in the first quarter, Sacramento eked out a 30-29 first-quarter lead allowing Cleveland to shoot 63 percent from the floor including 4-for-9 from 3-point range.

Sacramento employed more lock down defense in the third quarter outscoring the Cavs 26-20 to take a commanding 85-64 lead into the fourth quarter that Cleveland never threatened.

Cleveland has now lost five straight and is now 1-7 in its last eight games without LeBron James.

STANDOUT PERFORMER: DeMarcus Cousins recorded game highs -- 26 points to go along with 13 rebounds in his 21st double double of the season and 17th in his last 19 games.

TURNING POINT: The second quarter was pivotal as the Kings held Cleveland to just 15 points to lead 59-44 at the half, before cruising to victory thereafter.

INJURY REPORT: Kings - F Omri Casspi (left knee bone contusion), G Ramon Sessions (low back strain) and F Eric Moreland (surgery left shoulder labral tear) were out.

Cavs - F LeBron James (left knee and low back strain), G Iman Schumpert (left shoulder dislocation), and F/C Anderson Varejao (Achilles) are out while F Shawn Marion (left hip strain) is doubtful.

WHAT'S NEXT: The next three games of Sacramento’s six-game homestand are on tap with Dallas on Tuesday, Miami on Friday and the Clippers on Saturday.