
SACRAMENTO -- After dropping another game on their home floor Friday night, this time to the Miami Heat by a final of 112-106, it appears the Sacramento Kings have set their cruise control and are going to coast the rest of the way in.
After a solid start to the game, the Heat used a 19-4 run to finish the first quarter and the Kings looked like they might lose in blowout fashion on their home floor. But with nothing to play for but pride, the Kings fought back and gave Miami a good scare.
Darren Collison continues to give it everything he has and Friday was no different. The 28-year-old guard scored 11 of his season-high 26 points in the fourth quarter as the Kings clawed all the way to within one point.
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“Yeah, it’s tough – we’ve also been dealing with injuries and we’ve been dealing with other things off the court,” Collison said. “I’m just proud of the guys that have continued to stay with it, continued to fight. It’s going to pay off in the near future, believe it or not. This definitely shows character, so I’m happy for the guys that still battle.”
[INSTANT REPLAY: Kings make furious run, can't catch Heat]
Collison wasn’t the only one in the backcourt that came to play. Rajon Rondo dished out 10 assists, giving him 50 games this season with 10 or more dimes. And Seth Curry tied his career-high with 21 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and 4-of-6 from deep.
“I think Seth’s playing extremely well right now; he’s in a good groove,” Collison said. “I’m very happy for him because he’s worked all year long, never complained – he got his opportunity and he’s taking advantage of it.”
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“He’s feisty,” George Karl added. “He has a confidence to him.”
Since taking over the starting shooting guard spot five games ago, Curry is averaging 14.6 points and hitting a stellar 52.2 percent (12-for-23) from behind the arc.
Rudy Gay chipped in 20 points and 13 rebounds and Kosta Koufos made a nice contribution off the bench, finishing with 12 points and eight rebounds in 22 minutes of action.
THE WALKING WOUNDED:
The Kings walk into Saturday night’s matchup with Denver limping. DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo are already scheduled to miss the game to rest. Marco Belinelli has missed the previous four games with a sore right foot and Omri Casspi is scheduled to have an MRI Saturday on his strained right hamstring and he is likely out for the remainder of the season.
“Next man up, no excuses,” Collison said. “We’ve got to try to get a win. It’s unfortunate for those guys, especially with Omri (Casspi), he’s been having a really great season, but next man up.”
The Kings still have a few able-bodied veteran on the bench that Karl can turn to, but even the players that plan on suiting up are feeling the burn of 76 games played. Rudy Gay had ice on his right shoulder after the game. Rookie Willie Cauley-Stein sat the last half of the fourth quarter with a strained left shoulder, but he is expected to play against the Nuggets.
“I think James (Anderson) will definitely have to play more minutes and the possibility of playing maybe getting Caron (Butler) on the court,” Karl said following the game. “They all seem to be anxious to play out the season the right way and give the effort and intensity that the fans deserve.”
Second-year big Eric Moreland and rookie Duje Dukan are both expected to make the trip and suit up. Moreland has played a total of 24 minutes over five contests with the Kings this season.
Dukan has yet to make his NBA debut, although he played well in summer league and in 27 D-League games in Reno this season he averaged 14.6 points on 37.4 percent shooting from long range.
WELCOME BACK TO SACRAMENTO COACH SMART:
Keith Smart is one of the NBA’s good guys. The former Kings and Warriors head coach now sits on the Heat bench as an assistant coach, or at least he was supposed to this season.
Smart has been away from the team twice while battling a rare form of skin cancer. But he was able to make it out to the game on Friday night after undergoing treatment over the last few months.
“He’s finished with those treatments, it’s been a long haul, but he was with us this morning at shootaround,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He surprised the guys. It’s the perfect time for that, it’s a great boost.”
He rode the bus with the team and attended the game, although he isn’t ready to sit on the bench just yet. The plan is for Smart to rejoin the Heat in the next 7-10 days as the Heat prepare for the Eastern Conference playoffs.