Cousins pours in 40 points as Kings edge Lakers
LOS ANGELES -- DeMarcus Cousins scored 40 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and handed out eight assists, leading the Sacramento Kings to a 97-96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night at Staples Center.
Ben McLemore and Darren Collison chipped in 13 points apiece for the Kings, who matched their season high with a fourth consecutive win. Sacramento (24-32) also beat the Lakers for the fourth straight time at Staples.
Cousins made one of two free throws to break a tie at 96 with nine seconds remaining. Lakers guard Lou Williams misfired on a 3-point attempt just before the final horn.
Williams scored a team-high 29 points for the Lakers, while Julius Randle added 11 points and Nick Young contributed 10.
The Kings took a three-point lead after a free throw and turnaround jumper by Cousins with 42.3 seconds remaining, but Williams drilled a 3-pointer with 30.4 seconds left to tie the score at 96.
Sacramento held a 79-66 edge after two free throws by Willie Cauley-Stein with 9:46 remaining. However, a 13-0 run by the Lakers knotted the score after a fadeaway by Williams less than three minutes later.
In the third quarter, Sacramento increased its two-point edge at the half to double digits. A jumper by Cousins gave the Kings a 68-57 advantage with 2:39 remaining in the period, but the Lakers cut the gap to 70-64 by the end of the third. Cousins scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the quarter.
The Kings led 43-41 at the half as both teams struggled offensively. The Kings outshot the Lakers 45.9 percent to 37.2 percent from the floor in the first half, but Sacramento converted just 2 of 11 (18.2 percent) to 5 of 14 (35.7 percent) for Los Angeles from long distance.
Both clubs committed 10 turnovers, leading to 12 points to the Kings and eight for the Lakers in the first half.
Overall, the Kings shot 49.3 percent to 45.8 percent for the Lakers.
Kings guard Ty Lawson missed his third game due to a left groin strain.
NOTES: Lakers coach Luke Walton said he is focused more on coaching his club instead of keeping up with the on-going saga between Magic Johnson and the front office. Johnson, who was recently hired as an adviser by part-owner and president Jeanie Buss, has been outspoken with several media outlets about becoming the team's sole decision-maker on player personnel and roster decisions. Lakers vice president of basketball operations and part-owner Jim Buss, Jeanie's brother, and general manager Mitch Kupchak currently decide those issues. Johnson also said he would like to see former Lakers star Kobe Bryant added in some capacity. ... Kings F Garrett Temple (partial left hamstring tear) missed his eighth consecutive contest. ... Both clubs resume play Wednesday. The Kings visit the Golden State Warriors, while the Lakers play the Suns in Phoenix.