The road is where the heart is? After a 2-3 homestand, the Kings kicked off their six-game road trip the right way in Brooklyn Sunday evening. Sacramento used a big third quarter push to run away from the Nets for a 122-105 victory to improve to 7-10 on the season.
DeMarcus Cousins struggled from the perimeter early, but dropped in a big 18 points in the third on his way to another huge performance. Cousins finished the night with 37 points, 11 rebounds and four steals in his key matchup against Brook Lopez.
Rudy Gay got his teammates going before taking center stage himself. He managed to score 22 points, grab eight rebounds and dish out eight assists in a near triple-double performance.
For the second straight game, Dave Joerger turned to Omri Casspi off his bench and the 28-year-old forward made an impact. Casspi dropped in two 3-balls and a bunny in the lane for eight points in nine minutes during the first half. The Kings needed an infusion of energy in the first half and Casspi delivered.
Darren Collison added 18 points on 6-for-10 shooting and Ty Lawson chipped in 13 points and four assists leading the second unit.
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On the down side, Cousins picked up his sixth technical foul of the season in the third quarter. Matt Barnes picked up a Flagrant 2 and an instant ejection in the early fourth quarter and Kosta Koufos added another technical in the fourth.
Sean Kilpatrick torched the Kings for 15 of his team-high 22 points in the first half, but he was not a factor late as the Kings pulled away.
Lopez did a yeoman's job on Cousins early in the game, but had no answer in the third. The 7-footer finished the night with 17 points on 5-for-15 shooting and added seven rebounds.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting and Randy Foye kicked in nine off the bench for the 4-12 Nets.
STANDOUT PERFORMER
Casspi lit the fuse. Cousins was a beast. Gay had answers at every step. Collison hit the gas late. Lots of heroes in this game.
TURNING POINT
Sacramento came out with energy on the defensive end in the third quarter and the Nets had no chance. After trailing by 59-58 at the break, the Kings outscored the Nets 34-18 in the third to take a 15-point lead into the fourth. Brooklyn made a run in the mid-fourth quarter, but the Kings rode a 16-0 run to finish it off.
INJURY UPDATE
The Kings continued to navigate the schedule with a full roster of healthy bodies.
WHAT'S NEXT
Sacramento continues their six-game road trip out East with a back-to-back on Monday night against the Washington Wizards.
