Sacramento Kings Finally Get Boost to Victory
The Sacramento Kings have lacked a lot of things this season. They’ve had shortages of consistency, which has been hampered by injuries to many different players, they’ve been missing fight, and there hasn’t been much leadership, just to name a few. On Sunday, DeMarcus Cousins put the team on his back, fought through adversity, and led his team to a hard-fought victory over the Phoenix Suns.
The Kings were cruising through the first three quarters. They led at each intermission, and entered the fourth stanza with a 14-point lead, their largest of the night. Victory seemed inevitable, as Phoenix entered the fourth frame with a meager 59 points.
But then, the real Kings showed up.
In the fourth, Sacramento just could not find the bottom of the basket, and on the other side, they couldn’t stop the Suns from scoring either. Through the first 11 minutes of the quarter, the Kings were outscored 24-8, and were down 83-81 heading into the ultimate minute.
More from Sacramento Kings
- Sacramento Kings: Re-grading the team’s 2019 free-agent signings
- Sacramento Kings: Why Fans should be excited about new GM Monte McNair
- Sacramento Kings: Introducing the Harry Giles conundrum
- Sacramento Kings could land the steal of the 2020 NBA Draft in Elijah Hughes
- Sacramento Kings can afford to re-sign Bogdan Bogdanovic
Former Kings’ point guard Isaiah Thomas scored 14 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, and looked like he would put the final nail in the coffin, by assisting Markieff Morris on the shot that gave Phoenix their 83-81 lead.
Sacramento looked like they were well on the way to their fourth straight loss, and their 11th defeat in 12 games.
But then, the All-Star Cousins showed up.
With time winding under a minute, Cousins took the ball in the post. He dribbled his way in deep, spun through a host of defenders, and softly laid the ball in to re-tie the game at 83. After numerous misses by each side, Sacramento took the ball out of bounds with only 2.5 seconds on the clock.
Cousins took the inbound pass from Ben McLemore outside the three-point arc, dribbled once to get to the top of the key, and despite tough defense from Morris, Cousins worked his way around the Suns’ forward and hoisted a shot from 19 feet out. The ball hit solid on the back of the rim, bounced off the backboard, and touched the rim at least three more times before falling in for Cousins’ first career buzzer-beater.
Feb 8, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) with the all-star jersey before the game against the Phoenix Suns at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
After the shot dropped, the entire team met at half-court in a jubilant group hug. Cousins gave himself, his teammates, and the hometown fans a reason to celebrate, something they haven’t had very often this season, or in recent years.
The team needed Cousins in that final minute. They were missing a lot of the offense around their ultra-talented center. Second-leading scorer Rudy Gay, owner of a 19.9 points per game average, was out of action due to a sore left foot. Gay is a very good jump-shooter, and probably would have been the first option to take the potential game-winning jumper. Point guard Darren Collison, the team’s third-best scorer at 16.1 PPG, also missed the game, as he is dealing with an abdominal strain that has kept him out of two games in a row, and quite possibly more down the road.
Sacramento honored Cousins and his all-star selection before the game with the all-star jersey. The superstar rewarded the home crowd with 28 points and 12 rebounds, including the shots that tied the game, and eventually won it. This Cousins, this player who takes over when he absolutely has to, is exactly what the team needs.
Head coach Tyrone Corbin‘s tenure with the Kings may be reaching its end, as the rumor mill is churning with the possibility of George Karl taking on the challenge of trying to turn around Sacramento’s struggling franchise. Karl may not want to coach this team, however, and they may be stuck with Corbin, who is clearly in over his head at this point. But for now, the team, and their star, can take solace in this hard-fought victory.