For most of the night, the Sacramento Kings looked every bit the part of a team in turmoil. They came out flat, giving up 30 points or more in each of the first two quarters. But after trailing by as many as 17 points to the 8-44 Philadelphia 76ers, the Kings rallied late and found a way to snap their four game losing streak by a final of 114-110.
Rudy Gay looked ready to play from the jump, but he was one of the few. Gay poured in 22 points on 9-for-20 shooting and added three blocks in the win, keeping the team afloat until one-by-one they woke up and started playing.
Darren Collison continued his hot streak, adding 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting off the bench. His clutch shooting from both the field and the line made the difference down the stretch.
Sensing the lackluster play of his team, George Karl turned to Quincy Acy for a spark. His modest line of six points, four rebounds and two blocks in 15 minutes don’t jump off the page, but his energy level did. Without Acy, this may have been another big-time loss for the Kings.
DeMarcus Cousins put up solid numbers, finishing the night with 28 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. His effort on the defensive end picked up as the game wore on.
Rajon Rondo chipped in a 14-point, 15-assist double-double. He added eight rebounds and three steals in the win.
The Kings left Robert Covington wide open on the perimeter and the wing torched them for 29 points on 7-for-11 shooting from deep. Covington grabbed five rebounds and picked up six steals, but he turned the ball over seven times.
Rookie Jahlil Okafor lit the Kings up for 26 points on 11-for-18 shooting. He added 10 rebounds, five assists and a pair of blocks in 39 minutes of action.
Former Kings first-round pick Nik Stauskas got loose for 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting, including a deep 3-pointer that gave Philly a 63-48 lead at the half.
STANDOUT PERFORMER
Acy’s energy changed the course of this game. Without his passion off the bench, the Kings probably would have lost their fifth straight.
TURNING POINT
Sacramento dropped the hammer on the Sixers in the fourth, outscoring the struggling young team 39-23 in the final frame.
INJURY UPDATE
Ben McLemore missed his third straight game with a right wrist spain. Marco Belinelli started in his place. Willie Cauley-Stein took a shot to the shoulder in the first half, and didn’t start the second half, but that was a coaching decision.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Kings return to the court a week from Friday to take on former coach Michael Malone and the Denver Nuggets.
