Kings 110, Pacers 93
DeMarcus Cousins collected 18
points and 14 rebounds and Samuel Dalembert added 16 and 10 as the visiting
Sacramento Kings won back-to-back games for the first time since late January
with a 110-93 triumph over the Indiana Pacers on Friday.
Francisco Garcia added 16 points
and Marcus Thornton recorded 15 points and nine boards for the Kings (19-52),
who moved three games ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves (17-56) in the race to
avoid the worst record in the West.
The Pacers (32-41) had their lead
trimmed to two games over the Milwaukee Bucks (29-42) and the Charlotte Bobcats
(29-42) -- both road winners Friday night in New York and Boston, respectively -- for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.
The Kings made their move on the
defensive end in the first half, holding Indiana to 25 percent (12 of 48)
shooting from the field, including 1 of 9 from beyond the arc, to grab a 55-37
lead at the break.
The Pacers used an 11-0 burst in
the third to cut the lead to 71-62 with 3:39 left in the frame, but Tyreke
Evans, who was playing for the first time in 19 games after recovering from a
foot injury, converted a three-point play to halt the run and push it back to
double digits.
Danny Granger led the Pacers with
20 points.