Nets at Kings
All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins is once again feuding with coach George
Karl as the Sacramento Kings prepare to host the Brooklyn Nets on
Friday. Cousins directed a profanity-laced tirade at Karl after Monday's
loss to the San Antonio Spurs and apologized for his actions two days
later.
Reports circulated over the summer that Karl asked management to deal Cousins, and the uneasy truce ended when the Kings' star unloaded on Karl. "I let my frustrations get the best of me in the locker room following the loss to San Antonio - that is my bad," Cousins said on Wednesday in a statement to Yahoo! Sports. "For the record, my frustration is not about any one person or player or coach. There is no one to blame. All of us is accountable." Sacramento responded to all the turmoil by posting a 101-92 victory over the Detroit Pistons to halt a six-game losing streak on Wednesday night. Brooklyn also ended a terrible skid - a seven-gamer - on Wednesday by notching a 106-98 victory over the Houston Rockets for its first win of the season.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBATV, YES (Brooklyn), CSN California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE NETS (1-7): Brooklyn owned a 60-45 edge on the boards against Houston - collecting 20 on the offensive glass - and received a season-high 22 points from Bojan Bogdanovic off the bench. Small forward Joe Johnson had 16 points and a season-best 10 assists as the Nets played solid team basketball and posted a season high for points. "When you get a win, it validates all the preaching and all the working that you're doing," coach Lionel Hollins told reporters. "When you do get a victory you can say, 'Hey, this is what we're talking about.' Because in that victory there's a lot of things that I've been preaching and other coaches have been preaching."
ABOUT THE KINGS (2-7): Cousins is having no issues with his game and delivered a season-best 33 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the victory over the Pistons. "I'm not sure a panic button was pushed as you all magnified it," coach George Karl said after the win. "Team meetings and a six-game losing streaks happen. The newness to our team? I don't know. But I thought the last two days have been good for us." Point guard Rajon Rondo is performing well and played the entire contest for the second straight night and had 14 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds for his 24th career regular-season triple-double.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Nets swept last season's two meetings and have defeated the Kings three straight times.
2. Brooklyn C Brook Lopez had 14 points and 12 rebounds against Houston for his fourth double-double in six games.
3. Sacramento backup PG Darren Collison (hamstring) will likely miss his fourth straight game.