Rewind: Kings' effort in win over Mavs two months too late

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article_body => "SACRAMENTO -- It wasn\u2019t supposed to end this way, not this season. The Sacramento Kings weren\u2019t supposed to be sitting on the outside looking in of the NBA\u2019s playoff picture with 10 games remaining. But that is exactly where they are.<\/p>\nSunday\u2019s 133-111 drubbing of the Dallas Mavericks was as impressive as it was frustrating. Where was this Kings team a month ago? Where was this type of energy and cohesion when they were losing 8-of-9 in late January and early February or 9-of-10 in late February and early March?<\/p>\n\u201cI think you\u2019ve seen pieces of it in almost every game we play, we just don\u2019t put four quarters together,\u201d George Karl said. \u201cVery seldom do you get your first and second units competing for who was the best unit.\u201d<\/p>\nThe Kings have had plenty of nice moments this season, but their inconsistency has killed them. On most nights it\u2019s a quarter-to-quarter proposition as to which team will show up.<\/p>\nAfter dropping seven straight at home, the Kings have now won two in a row. They play Monday night in Portland and they are well rested. No player hitting the 29-minute mark, including big man DeMarcus Cousins who scored 20 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and handed out five assists in just 28 minutes of action.<\/p>\nThe locker room was light again, with plenty of smiles. The pressure that had been building with this team has dissipated and it only took a few blowout wins.<\/p>\n\u201cWinning is always fun, regardless of the situation,\u201d Rajon Rondo said. \u201cAs long as the outcome is a win, we\u2019ll take it.\u201d<\/p>\n[INSTANT REPLAY: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.csnbayarea.com\/kings\/hot-shooting-kings-run-all-over-mavs\">Hot-shooting Kings run all over Mavs<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\nRondo played for Dallas last season and it didn\u2019t end well. With the Kings playing for pride, it had to feel good to set the Mavericks back in their quest for one of the final playoff spots in the Western Conference.<\/p>\n\u201cYeah, I want them to get their plane ticket as soon as we get ours,\u201d Rondo said. \u201cSo anytime we can help, that\u2019s what I try to get these guys to focus on - if we\u2019re not going to make the playoffs, then let\u2019s help some of these guys go home with us.\u201d<\/p>\nThe Kings began the season as a league of villains. Maybe they reprise that role as they play spoiler down the stretch.<\/p>\nTHE BENCH COMES TO PLAY:<\/strong> To rattle off a 133 points, you need a team effort and that is exactly what the Kings received Sunday afternoon. Eight players scored in double-figures, including five of the six Karl inserted off the bench.<\/p>\nRookie Willie Cauley-Stein has been a breath of fresh air over his last two games. The 7-footer dropped in 26 points in Friday\u2019s win over the Phoenix Suns and backed that up with another 21 points against the Mavs on 8-of-11 shooting.<\/p>\n\u201cHis offense was blessed by a lot of good plays by other people,\u201d Karl said. \u201cHe\u2019s got the lob and the rim game going. He\u2019s worked really hard on understanding what he can in the game.\u201d<\/p>\nThe young big man wasn\u2019t the only bright spot off the Kings bench. Darren Collison went at his former team, scoring 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting.<\/p>\nAfter missing the previous 10 games with a non-displaced fracture in the tip of his right ring finger, Ben McLemore returned to drop in 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting. The 23-year-old guard looked confident and aggressive, two traits that have been lacking from his game on most nights this season.<\/p>\n\u201cIt was pretty tough,\u201d McLemore said. \u201cThroughout my first two years in the league I hadn\u2019t missed a game and then I had an injury that kept me out for a while. It\u2019s pretty tough sitting out.\u201d<\/p>\nBig man Kosta Koufos failed to register a minute of action against the Suns, drawing the dreaded DNP-CD on Friday night. On Sunday he looked energized off the bench, finishing with 10 points, six rebounds and two blocks in 15 minutes of action.<\/p>\nVeteran Omri Casspi rounded out the double-digit scoring from the reserves, scoring 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting and grabbing four rebounds.<\/p>\nThe Kings second unit finished the night with a season-high 72 points, the most they\u2019ve scored since Jan 2, 1993. It was a team effort that Karl would love to have on most night. It\u2019s not often you see a team score 133 points in a game with only 61 coming from the starting unit.<\/p>\n"
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Kings

SACRAMENTO -- It wasn’t supposed to end this way, not this season. The Sacramento Kings weren’t supposed to be sitting on the outside looking in of the NBA’s playoff picture with 10 games remaining. But that is exactly where they are.

Sunday’s 133-111 drubbing of the Dallas Mavericks was as impressive as it was frustrating. Where was this Kings team a month ago? Where was this type of energy and cohesion when they were losing 8-of-9 in late January and early February or 9-of-10 in late February and early March?

“I think you’ve seen pieces of it in almost every game we play, we just don’t put four quarters together,” George Karl said. “Very seldom do you get your first and second units competing for who was the best unit.”

The Kings have had plenty of nice moments this season, but their inconsistency has killed them. On most nights it’s a quarter-to-quarter proposition as to which team will show up.

After dropping seven straight at home, the Kings have now won two in a row. They play Monday night in Portland and they are well rested. No player hitting the 29-minute mark, including big man DeMarcus Cousins who scored 20 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and handed out five assists in just 28 minutes of action.

The locker room was light again, with plenty of smiles. The pressure that had been building with this team has dissipated and it only took a few blowout wins.

“Winning is always fun, regardless of the situation,” Rajon Rondo said. “As long as the outcome is a win, we’ll take it.”

[INSTANT REPLAY: Hot-shooting Kings run all over Mavs]

Rondo played for Dallas last season and it didn’t end well. With the Kings playing for pride, it had to feel good to set the Mavericks back in their quest for one of the final playoff spots in the Western Conference.

“Yeah, I want them to get their plane ticket as soon as we get ours,” Rondo said. “So anytime we can help, that’s what I try to get these guys to focus on - if we’re not going to make the playoffs, then let’s help some of these guys go home with us.”

The Kings began the season as a league of villains. Maybe they reprise that role as they play spoiler down the stretch.

THE BENCH COMES TO PLAY:
To rattle off a 133 points, you need a team effort and that is exactly what the Kings received Sunday afternoon. Eight players scored in double-figures, including five of the six Karl inserted off the bench.

Rookie Willie Cauley-Stein has been a breath of fresh air over his last two games. The 7-footer dropped in 26 points in Friday’s win over the Phoenix Suns and backed that up with another 21 points against the Mavs on 8-of-11 shooting.

“His offense was blessed by a lot of good plays by other people,” Karl said. “He’s got the lob and the rim game going. He’s worked really hard on understanding what he can in the game.”

The young big man wasn’t the only bright spot off the Kings bench. Darren Collison went at his former team, scoring 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting.

After missing the previous 10 games with a non-displaced fracture in the tip of his right ring finger, Ben McLemore returned to drop in 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting. The 23-year-old guard looked confident and aggressive, two traits that have been lacking from his game on most nights this season.

“It was pretty tough,” McLemore said. “Throughout my first two years in the league I hadn’t missed a game and then I had an injury that kept me out for a while. It’s pretty tough sitting out.”

Big man Kosta Koufos failed to register a minute of action against the Suns, drawing the dreaded DNP-CD on Friday night. On Sunday he looked energized off the bench, finishing with 10 points, six rebounds and two blocks in 15 minutes of action.

Veteran Omri Casspi rounded out the double-digit scoring from the reserves, scoring 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting and grabbing four rebounds.

The Kings second unit finished the night with a season-high 72 points, the most they’ve scored since Jan 2, 1993. It was a team effort that Karl would love to have on most night. It’s not often you see a team score 133 points in a game with only 61 coming from the starting unit.