SACRAMENTO -- Punched in the gut. That was the general consensus in the Sacramento Kings locker room Monday night following their crushing 129-128 double overtime loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
“It became a shootout and then the game became a hell of a game in the last five minutes and the two overtimes,” a visibly drained George Karl said. “You get beat by a kid making a 30-footer and you feel like crap. You feel like throwing up. It’s a different type of failure, but it’s still a failure.”
The 30-footer Karl spoke of came off the hands off journeyman Troy Daniels. That wasn’t the only triple to come off the hands of the seldom used reserve. He finished the night with a career-high 28 points in 8-of-11 shooting from long range and he wasn’t the only one to torch the Kings from deep.
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“He’s a great shooter,” Omri Casspi said. “We played together in Houston; he’s a great shooter and they put him on a single-side tag most of the night.”
Daniels is known for his shooting ability, but he came into the game averaging 4.5 points a night. The Kings left him and plenty of other shooters wide open. As a team, Charlotte shot 20-for-44 from three, as the Kings regressed back to their early December days of leaving shooters open around the perimeter.
While Charlotte threw up jumpers, DeMarcus Cousins was once again putting on a show in the post against a depleted Charlotte frontline. Cousins abused Spencer Hawes, Marvin Williams and Tyler Hansbrough, drawing six fouls on each before having to sit the final 3:30 of the second OT after fouling out himself.
Cousins finished the night with a Sacramento-era record 56 points, breaking Chris Webber’s previous high of 51 set on Jan. 5. 2001. The Kings’ All-Star has now scored 104 points over his last two games and is now averaging 27.6 points per game on the season.
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“I think our team has done a good job of getting him the ball, Rondo especially,” Karl said. “It’s a comfort zone. He has the skill, if you give him the advantage, or an opportunity, he’s converting it in a high, high level.”
It’s a painful loss in more ways than one for the Kings. They came into the night riding a five game win streak and had climbed to just three games below .500. Sacramento retained possession of the eight spot in the west after Utah dropped another contest, but this was another missed opportunity for a team that desperately wants to make the playoffs.
The streak is over, but the Kings aren’t hanging their heads. General manager Vlade Divac was in the locker room following the game speaking to both Cousins and Rondo. It almost felt like he was on site providing counseling after a tough loss.
What is clear, is that the Kings are growing as a team. Losses are going to happen, but we are seeing a group of individuals morphing into a unit. The leader of that unit continues to be Rondo, who finished the night just three points short of his third consecutive triple-double.
“I’m playing to try to win games, to turn this franchise around, change the culture and win games,” Rondo said following the game.
Rondo notched his 2nd 20 assist game of the season as the Kings finished with 36 assists as a team. Cousins is getting all of the accolades for his incredible play, as he should, but Rondo continues to pull this group together.
“I think chemistry is the most undervalued thing in our league today,” Rondo said. “I just love our chemistry right now and we’re going to continue to grow and build as a team.”
The Kings chemistry will be tested Tuesday against the Trail Blazers. After a 58 minute game and a plane ride to Portland, the Kings will face a tough team that currently sits just a game behind them in the standings.
ADDING INJURY TO INSULT
Rudy Gay returned from one injury, but left with another. He finished the night with 20 points and nine rebounds in 41 minutes of action, but will not play on Tuesday night.
He suffered a corneal abrasion of his left eye during the second overtime period on Monday, and will be listed as day-to-day moving forward.
Gay took a finger to the left eye a minute and a half into the second overtime session while trying to take a 3-pointer. He stayed in the game, making one of three free throws, before exiting.