Magic 104, Kings 97
Jason Richardson scored 22 points to lead the Orlando Magic to a 104-97 triumph over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday at Power Balance Pavilion.
Orlando opened its four-game West Coast road trip by picking up its eighth victory over the Kings in the last 11 meetings.
Sacramento, which fell for the third time in four contests, will now hit the road for a five-game stretch starting Tuesday.
Ryan Anderson, a native of Sacramento, buried a 3-pointer to put the Magic ahead by seven points with just over a minute remaining. Anderson missed his first seven shots of the game, but still scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Kings point guard Tyreke Evans scored 15 of his 28 points in the first half. He rolled his ankle just before the break but returned with a brace, keeping the game close down the stretch with his ability to get to the rim.
A night after having dinner with new head coach Keith Smart, troublesome center DeMarcus Cousins had a tremendous first half, scoring 12 points and drawing three quick fouls on Dwight Howard. Cousins, however, would find himself in foul trouble, finishing the game with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Howard, who was handicapped by foul trouble for most of the game, didn’t get on the scoresheet until 6:35 of the fourth quarter when he fought for position for a bucket and the foul. He finished with just five points and four rebounds.
Orlando reserve forward Glen Davis picked up the slack, scoring 11 of his 20 points in the first half.