Sacramento Kings: High peaks, low valleys

DeMarcus Cousins

Well that games was a rollercoaster of emotions as the Kings played some inspiring basketball mixed in with a quarter and a half of down right awful basketball. The team was able to pick up a 107-104 win against the Phoenix Suns by outrebounding the Suns 48-31 and clamping down on defense late in the game. This was a great comeback win by the boys in Black and Purp, something they can hang their hat on as the season goes on. By no means was this a sharply played game tonight by the Kings, but it was great to see them get contributions from up and down the roster, while battling on both sides of the ball.

This was the type of game I was looking to see from the Kings under the new ownership group, GM Pete D’Alessandro, and head coach Mike Malone. Tonight was true team basketball, something we have seen glimpses of throughout the first ten games of the season, but never in a tense, tightly contested fourth quarter where the best team comes out on top. Whether it was Boogie Cousins jumping into passing lanes for steals and deflections, Isaiah Thomas diving on the ground and hounding Goran Dragic late, or Travis “I don’t suck Ryan” Outlaw doing all the little things, this game was great to watch despite all the turnovers and wide open three-balls missed.

In the second quarter, I went from being pleased with how the team had looked, especially the ball movement, to being scared we might be run off the floor despite the Suns missing point guard Eric Bledsoe. Instead, another former Kentucky Wildcat, a kid who cannot shoot to save his life, Archie Goodwin, came in and turned back-to-back steals into thunderous dunks, as the Suns rode Goodwin’s energy and turned Kings turnover after turnover into easy points. The game looked like it was going to follow the same script of the season so far, especially when Ben McLemore followed up a solid first quarter with a dreadful second, which saw him shoot consecutive air balls. If it was not for Boogie playing a dominant first half (16 points and 6 rebounds), the Kings would have found themselves in a much deeper hole than 62-54.

When the third quarter began, it was more of the same, as the Suns increased their lead to as many as 14 points. I remember distinctly thinking, “Well, at least Ben didn’t get gun shy after the two air balls in the second quarter and is still being aggressive on offense.” I was slipping into watching for little things to cling on to as improvement in the inevitable blowout, but then the Kings started to mount the comeback. McLemore knocked down a three, Greivis Vasquez hit a couple shots, and the Kings began to turn up the defensive intensity. Then, despite Gerald Green and Channing Frye hitting 3s to keep the Kings at bay, Ben got fouled on a 3 point attempt and hit all 3 free throws to set up the Kings for the final quarter down 88-82.

In the fourth, the Kings trotted out a lineup of Isaiah, Jimmer Fredette (back from the dead), Travis Outlaw, Patrick Patterson, and Boogie and scratched and clawed their way back into the game by the 5 minute mark, when DeMarcus swatted a layup that was finished by Outlaw off a no look pass from IT. And just as I was feeling great, the Suns went on a 9-2 run to give them a 104-97 lead with about 3 minutes left. At this point, I figured the Kings had fought the good fight to get the game close, but were not going to have the legs to pull it all the way out.

The final three minutes were frantic as the Kings scored the last 10 points, kick started by a coast to coast and-one off a steal by Boogie to bring the Kings within 4. With the lead down to 2, IT and Boogie turned the ball over only to have the Kings step up with two huge defensive stops (special mention to DeMarcus for playing fabulous D in the fourth). This set up the great Travis Outlaw to drill a turnaround jumper from the elbow with 40 seconds left to tie the game (no, as you probably know, I cannot believe I just typed that line, he has trolled me hard these last 2 games). Then it was Ish Smith’s turn to cough the ball and the game up to IT who got a steal and hit 2 free throws after he immediately got fouled.

On the Suns next possession, Boogie got another steal, his 4th of the night, but stupidly didn’t pass the ball to a guard and lost control before the refs called a jumpball, pitting Isaiah against the mucccchhhh taller Marcus Morris. Obviously Morris won, but Travis Outlaw turned in the final minute of the year by playing great defense on both Dragic and Morris as they attempted game tying shots.

Notes

• It has to be said again how well DeMarcus played in the second half on defense. It all starts with effort and, in the second half, he showed great effort. That’s really what it comes down to for DeMarcus, he might never be a great defender, probably won’t, but if he shows great effort combined with his athleticism, he can be a solid to slightly above average defender. And anyone who has watched him knows he has a long way to go in the effort department.
• Last note on Boogie, good showing as well on offense. He sought the paint most of the night and got to the line with regularity. Even though he only finished 8-14, it was great to see him settle for 20 footers only a few times.
• Ben had a game with high peaks and low valleys, but it was encouraging to see him always in attack mode. The kid has a sweet shot and showed off his great athleticism with a dunk in the third, but it will always come down to assertiveness in my eyes. As long as he stays in attack mode and doesn’t shy away on the offensive side, he will be pretty damn good. And Ben always brings it on D, thank you Bill Self.
• IT had another good game, especially in the second half. It’s still early and I’m not one to overreact, but coach Malone will have to start thinking about starting everyone’s favorite sub 6-footer. However, if coach Malone continues to play the hot hand more minutes, it doesn’t really matter who starts.
• John Salmons sucks. That is all.
• Travis Outlaw is truly blowing my mind right now. If the hustle continues to result in positive plays, we need to hold on to these moments as much as possible.
• Finally, the defense, which showed great effort tonight still showed some leakage. Channing Frye was especially difficult for the Kings bigs to stay with. With the stretch 4?s ability to go outside and hit threes while also rebound respectably, JT, Patterson, and Cousins all had troubles staying with Frye when they guarded him. This will be interesting to watch against small ball and spread teams.