Kings 113, Hornets 106
Ben McLemore recorded a season-high 27 points and Rudy Gay added 26, including two key baskets in the final minutes, as visiting Sacramento snapped a four-game losing streak.
DeMarcus Cousins contributed 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Kings, who improved to 2-4 on their eight-game road trip after posting 35 points in the fourth quarter. Carl Landry chipped in with 10 points and Ray McCallum added six points and nine assists for Sacramento.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist led the way with a season-high 23 points and nine rebounds while Mo Williams scored 20 and dished out eight assists for the Hornets, who have dropped two straight after winning five in a row. Gerald Henderson had 17 points and 11 assists and Marvin Williams scored 13 for Charlotte, which dropped one-half game behind Miami for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.
Gay recorded 12 points while McLemore and Cousins had 10 each as the Kings led by as many as eight in the first half before settling for a 51-46 edge at intermission. The teams were tied after three quarters before McLemore scored nine early in the fourth as Sacramento built the lead to 92-84.
The Hornets responded with 11 of the next 13 points, capped by a Kidd-Gilchrist dunk for a 95-94 lead with 5:03 to play, but Cousins led an 8-0 burst for the Kings. Charlotte pulled within two before Cousins made a basket with 1:12 to go and Gay answered two separate baskets by the Hornets with a three-point play and a jumper to seal it.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Charlotte G Kemba Walker returned to the lineup after missing 18 games with a knee injury and had six points while Hornets C Al Jefferson scored nine before leaving with a sore calf in the third quarter. … Charlotte C Cody Zeller was held out with a right shoulder injury and could miss Friday’s contest against Chicago. … Gay is averaging 28.8 points over the last four games.