Frustration. Anger. Embarrassment. Disappointment.
That’s just a few of the emotions Kings’ forward Harrison Barnes felt after losing their fifth straight game.
After losing their worst game of the season on Tuesday by a humiliating 53 points to the Boston Celtics, the Kings looked at Wednesday’s matchup as a chance to quickly bounce back and battle.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE Although they came out with the right energy, Sacramento ended up falling to the Atlanta Hawks 121-104 Wednesday night at State Farm Arena.
Sacramento started out aggressive and led in the first quarter 33-21. But that lead didn’t last long, as the Kings allowed the Hawks to score 46 points in the second quarter alone.
“I thought we started the game the right way,” coach Alvin Gentry told reporters after the loss on Wednesday. “We had a lot of juice, moving the basketball. I thought we played like we needed to try and win the game. And then, the second quarter we missed a couple shots, then we got away from what we were doing, and we got a little stagnant. You can’t give up 46 points in a quarter and expect to win. Doesn’t matter what kind of lead you got, it’s going to disappear.”
Barnes finished with a game-high 28 points, shooting 50 percent from the field and 60 percent from behind the arc. He also grabbed nine boards.
NBA
And with a rocky season, Barnes pointed at one thing he believes this team needs.
“Consistency, that’s what we need,” Barnes told reporters Wednesday. “We’ve shown we can string together certain parts, even certain wins together in a row. Where we always seem to break down is handling success. In the first quarter, getting a lead then getting away from that. And for us, it needs to be consistency on the defensive end first. That’s what’s going to allow us to get out and run and do what we do.
“But we haven’t stopped anybody. Everyone we’re playing is having career nights. Everyone we’re playing is having a field day. And until we get the defensive side of the ball consistently under control, it’s not going to matter whether we score 98 points or 130 points.”
Guard Davion Mitchell also had himself a decent night in front of his hometown crowd. He had 20 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the field and 4-of-9 shooting from deep.
And even though he couldn’t help his team pull out a win in the area where he grew up, Mitchell recognized reality but had a positive outlook after the loss.
RELATED: Barnes: Kings need 'drastic' change ahead of trade deadline
“It’s definitely taking a toll on us,” Mitchell said. “But we got a great group of guys coming together, bringing us together and telling us we’re a family and to stay together and not to let this break us apart. But it’s definitely tough, you can definitely see it. No one likes losing. But we just got to keep playing and try to win the next one.”
“It’s a blessing,” Mitchell said while talking about playing in Atlanta. “To play in front of my family in front of my friends in my hometown. They all came to the building to show support. It was a good thing I got to see them after the game.”
Sacramento will now have a few days to reevaluate as they look to end their losing streak on Saturday vs. the Philadelphia 76ers.