Sacramento Kings Flattened In Oklahoma City

Mar 28, 2014; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Ray McCallum (3) attempts a shot against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Sacramento Kings were going into Friday night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder short-handed, with point guard Isaiah Thomas missing his second straight game with a right quad contusion.

Throw in DeMarcus Cousins being almost completely neutralized by foul trouble and what was left was a disastrous night for the Kings.

Sacramento put together a big fourth quarter to make the final score look at least respectable, but the Kings were blown out of the gym Friday night at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City 94-81.

Oklahoma City (53-19) led 82-51 after three quarters.

Yeah, it was that bad.

Rookie Ben McLemore led the Kings (25-47) with 18 points on 5-of-16 shooting as Sacramento shot just 36.5 percent for the game. Cousins, meanwhile, was held in single digits for just the fourth time in the 62 games he’s played this season, finishing with four points and three rebounds on 2-of-8 shooting in just 17 minutes.

The Thunder blew out to an 18-point lead late in the first quarter, 32-14, before the Kings got a Quincy Acy free throw with 21.5 seconds left to cut the Thunder lead to 32-15 at the quarter break as Sacramento was just 5-for-19 from the floor and committed five turnovers in the first 12 minutes.

Oklahoma City led 54-38 at halftime and put the game away in the third period, when the Kings were once again 5-for-19 shooting and this time turned the ball over seven times.

McLemore scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, when coach Michael Malone went with the same five—McLemore, Ray McCallum, Jason Thompson, Travis Outlaw and Acy—for the entire period.

Kevin Durant finished with 29 points, hitting 9-of-11 from the floor, and also had six assists in three quarters to lead the Thunder. Russell Westbrook added 18 points and six assists and Jeremy Lamb scored 13 points. Serge Ibaka grabbed eight rebounds and blocked four shots.

Outlaw scored 17 points for the Kings, McCallum had 13 points and five assists and Thompson finished with 10 points and 14 rebounds. Acy grabbed 13 boards while Rudy Gay was held to seven points on 3-of-11 shooting while logging just 21 minutes.

Sacramento was 31-for-85 (36.5 percent) overall, 9-for-18 (50 percent) from 3-point range and 10-for-16 (62.5 percent) at the foul line. Oklahoma City was 33-for-69 (47.8 percent), 9-for-23 (39.1 percent) and 19-for-25 (76 percent).

The Kings had a 49-38 edge on the glass, but were outscored in the paint 38-30 and surrendered 19 points off turnovers (they had 17). Oklahoma City committed 14 turnovers, but Sacramento converted them into only seven points.

The Kings will continue their three-game road swing Saturday night at Dallas, taking on the Mavericks at 5:30 p.m. Pacific.