Toronto (1-1) @ Sacramento (2-1)

[KiNgSbOi]

The Kings gotta stop doing this to us fans! This was a heart stopper towards the end. Another comeback victory, it's a shame that it had to come down to this. A win is a win so I'll take it. I just hope we don't play like this against the Lakers, I don't think their going to be nice enough to let us back in it if they take a 20 point lead on us.

[Cruel_Ruin]

Kings first halves:



Kings second halves:

[KingInExile]

quick question. casspi or garcia for my fantasy team?

Steve Nash
O.J. Mayo
John Wall
Kevin Durant
Tim Duncan
DeMarcus Cousins
Roy Hibbert
J.J. Hickson
Francisco Garcia
Corey Maggette
Dorrell Wright
Mike Conley

No question...Casspi. I'm shocked he's available (much more upside and likely more minutes).

[ADoaN17]

Nice production from Cousins with only about 18 minutes.

[SacKingsPejaFan]

I'm happy but they can't keep up this act. They're two completely different teams in the first half and the second half in these first four games. If they pull this against a playoff team, they're going to get buried by 40 and won't have a chance to come back.

But enough negativity. This was one hell of a game to watch, especially at the same time as the World Series. Casspi's three ball is money, and he keeps on smashing on people to finish fast breaks. I love his game right now.

Also, big man depth FTW. Landry had an off-night, Thompson still hasn't checked in this season yet, Cousins' defense, rebounding, and foul-trouble are crippling him, and Dalembert is nonexistent on offense...but together, they pulled it off. But dam did Reggie Evans kill us on the boards...something to learn from.

Great game as a fan. Can't wait for the next

[OGSactownballer]

I was at the game tonight and here is what I can say is the the difference between halves and the major issue right now.

For starters, the shooting percentages at the end of the first half were Kings: 38%, Raptors 57% by the hustle board. Plain and simple there were on each side shots that missed that should have gone in and shots that were made that would normally not go. I told my wife to wait and be patient because over the course of a normal NBA game this discrepancy will even out. Sure enough, by two minutes into the fourth quarter, the percentages were exactly 48-48.

The biggest single issue that I can see - and I believe that this explains a lot of the first half shooting discrepancy and the holes they keep getting into in the first half - is the fact that defensively they seem to keep switching onto the NON-SHOOTER at the three-point line leaving the better three point shooter open. I watched this happen over and over with both Bargnani and Kleiza. For some reason the bigs just don't seem to get that it really isn't necessary to double a guy like DeRozan or Weems or Jack - who can't shoot to save their life - when you have an opposing big who can kill the three-ball. In the end that will always hurt you more than the wild drive to the basket by a moderate level player.

The other item of note was that either Reggie Evans is once again healthy and the Reggie Evans from those division-winning Sonics teams of the early-mid 2000's, or the bigs REALLY need to work on establishing thier positioning in the paint defensively to keep pesty MF's like him pushed out and from keeping their team in the game.

[SacKingZZZ]

Cousins had a really tough "rookie" type of game but he came up big when it counted the most. Both he and Evans may have just given us a preview, albeit brief preview, of the future!

Thompson didn't have a great game but he came in and brought some desperately needed hustle at a time when we looked like we were headed down the dark road.

Oh, and sorry, but he did a DECENT job guarding SF tonight!

[pillwenney]

Cousins had a really tough "rookie" type of game but he came up big when it counted the most. Both he and Evans may have just given us a preview, albeit brief preview, of the future!

Thompson didn't have a great game but he came in and brought some desperately needed hustle at a time when we looked like we were headed down the dark road.

Oh, and sorry, but he did a DECENT job guarding SF tonight!

He really didn't. Kleiza was getting wherever he wanted, and that's with a SF that is almost a tweener.

And to the person that said Cousins' rebounding is hurting him, it surely isn't. He's averaging just over 10 rebounds/36 so far. So he's doing fine.

[_SRV_]

LMAO at the turnaround in this thread

[SacKingZZZ]

He really didn't. Kleiza was getting wherever he wanted, and that's with a SF that is almost a tweener.

And to the person that said Cousins' rebounding is hurting him, it surely isn't. He's averaging just over 10 rebounds/36 so far. So he's doing fine.

He did, and it really wasn't for that long of a stretch. On one play Kleiza did get by him but he had to hit a very tough one hander that was well defended by JT. He didn't give up anything easy and when he switched onto Barbosa a few different times he did a magnificent job of staying in front of him.

Cousin' rebounding has been off and on, just as it was in preseason. He still comes up with the most needed boards at the right time however.

[SadKingsFan]

I was at this game, and the energy of the crowd was just AWESOME!!! Reminded me of the good ole days, and those will be coming back very very soon. Im not sure what in the hell Westphal does to them at Halftime, but our 3rd quarters have been FAR different compared to our first half of games. I really just dont get it.

I doubt they will do this against LA though. I kind of expect the opposite. A ton of energy to start because it is the Lakers, and then a disappointing second half.

[Geoff35]

Cousins isn't having trouble rebounding... he's just having trouble staying on the floor. He's been extremely efficient numbers wise for the amount of minutes he's averaging.

[OGSactownballer]

JT guarding the SF spot against Kleiza was fine. The biggest leave open gaffes were when he was guarded by Carl (who CAN NOT guard SF's!), and by Casspi when he doubled off on the guards. I would have MUCH RATHER had JT guarding him in the late game when he seemed to keep being open from three.

I really think that Westphal is not only a very good game manager (and that is where the deep playoff experience shows the most), but he is also a very calming influence which is GREAT for a young team. I think that in the locker room he points out where the places to tighten up are and just lets them relax and get a blow. they very much seem to come out with more energy than the opponents in the third quarters.