A tale of two halves. After leading by as many as 28 early in the game, the Sacramento Kings let one slip away Wednesday night in San Antonio. Despite playing without Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge, the Spurs kept charging at the Kings. In the end, San Antonio came away with the 114-104 victory over the Kings, sending Sacramento to their sixth straight loss.
Manu Ginobili is an ageless wonder. The 15-year NBA vet torched the Kings for 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting off of Gregg Popovich’s bench.
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Patty Mills hit big shots when the Spurs needed them. The veteran point guard scored 17 points on 4-for-6 shooting from 3-point land and added 10 assists.
David Lee started at the power forward spot and hit Sacramento for 18 points and 10 rebounds. Jonathan Simmons chipped in 14 points and Danny Green tossed in 14 points in the win.
Tyreke Evans turned back the clock in the first quarter as Sacramento stunned the playoff bound Spurs. Starting at the small forward position, Evans scored 26 points on 9-for-13 shooting, including 13 in the first quarter.
The rookies produced. Skal Labissiere showed off his arsenal, dropping in a career-high 15 points, while grabbing six rebounds in 15 minutes. Buddy Hield caught fire from the outside, finishing the night with 11 points on 3-for-5 shooting from behind the arc.
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Kosta Koufos attacked the Spurs in the post early, scoring 10 of his 12 points in the Kings’ 37-point first quarter. The veteran center added 10 rebounds in the loss.
STANDOUT PERFORMER:
Labissiere needs more minutes. The rookie power forward brought the energy in his limited time on the floor. He’s looking more and more like a player every time he steps on the court.
TURNING POINT:
The Spurs used a 34-23 third quarter to steal momentum. They looked every bit the part of a team heading for a deep playoff run, despite playing without Leonard and Aldridge.
INJURY UPDATE:
Rookie Malachi Richardson is out 4-6 weeks with a right hamstring thickness tear, but hopes to return before the season is finished. Rudy Gay is out for the year with a torn left Achilles.
WHAT'S NEXT:
The Kings return to Sacramento for back-to-back games against the Wizards and Nuggets on Friday and Saturday at Golden 1 Center.