The time may never be better for the surprising Sacramento Kings to win their first game ever on the road against Oklahoma City when they meet the depleted Thunder on Sunday. The Kings are 0-10 in Oklahoma City and haven't posted a road victory against the Thunder-Sonics franchise since March 30, 2008. Oklahoma City, which entered the season as a top title contender, has been decimated by injuries to MVP Kevin Durant, All-Star guard Russell Westbrook and others.
After an exhilarating 114-112 double overtime win at Phoenix on Friday, Sacramento has won five straight for the first time in eight seasons and is off to its best start since the 1999-2000 club opened 9-1. The Kings fought back from an 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit to prevail, as DeMarcus Cousins had 25 points and a season-high 18 rebounds and Rudy Gay shook off a poor shooting night to hit the go-ahead jumper with 67 seconds left in the deciding extra session. “If you want to be a good team, you have to keep fighting, even through adversity,” Gay said. “They made runs, we made runs, but we had to finish it out, and we’re starting to get that kind of mentality.”
TV: 7 pm ET, CSN California, FSN Oklahoma
ABOUT THE KINGS (5-1): Sacramento won despite Cousins fouling out on an illegal screen call with 34 seconds remaining in regulation. The ruling incensed coach Michael Malone, who was on his way out to confront the officials when Cousins restrained him. “He was just saying, ‘Coach we need you to finish this game, coach us, tell us what we need to do,’” Malone said. “‘Don’t worry about the referees.’ I appreciate DeMarcus, and I love that kid.” Gay shot 5-of-22 playing through an illness, starting guards Darren Collison and Ben McLemore combined for 31 points and Carl Landry finished with 12 points and eight rebounds off the bench.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (1-5): In a continuation of last season's first-round playoff matchup that went seven games with four going into overtime, Oklahoma City fell 91-89 to Memphis on Friday after Serge Ibaka missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. Reggie Jackson finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and eight assists and Ibaka, the lone starter remaining from their playoff win against the Grizzlies last season, had 16 points and seven rebounds. “I knew going into this stretch that we were going to have to compete and play very efficiently on both ends,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “I thought tonight and every other game (except the Brooklyn game) we competed, and it seems like every game is going down to the last two minutes."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Kings have won three straight road games for the time since 1995-96, as Cousins is averaging 26 points and 13.3 rebounds on the road.
2. Thunder G Jeremy Lamb (back) played for the first time Friday and scored 17 points on 8-of-15 shooting in 41 minutes.
3. Joining Durant (foot) and Westbrook (hand) on the sidelines for the Thunder are F Grant Jerrett (ankle), F Mitch McGary (foot), G Anthony Morrow (knee), G Andre Roberson (foot) and F Perry Jones (knee).