Collison, Kings put win over Hawks in the bank
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Darren Collison scored 22 points, the last two on a driving layup that he kissed off the top of the glass with 3.5 seconds left, to lift the Sacramento Kings to a 108-107 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night at the Golden 1 Center.
Collison's layup capped Sacramento's comeback from a 22-point deficit and gave the Kings (22-32) consecutive wins at home for the first time since December. It also allowed the Kings to prevail in a game that saw four lead changes in the final minute.
DeMarcus Cousins returned from a one-game suspension to add 22 points for Sacramento. He blocked Tim Hardaway Jr.'s driving layup down the middle of the key on Atlanta's final possessio to preserve the victory.
Cousins scored 12 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 11 rebounds.
Ben McLemore scored a season-best 22 points and Anthony Tolliver had 15 points on only seven shots off the bench for the Kings. McLemore made six 3-pointers and Tolliver had five.
Hardaway Jr. scored 28 points to lead Atlanta (31-23), which didn't trail until Sacramento's Matt Barnes picked up a rebound off a miss under the basket and put it back in for a 102-101 lead.
Cousins then made two free throws on Sacramento's next possession for a 104-103 lead with 44.3 seconds left before Atlanta's Dennis Schroeder canned a jumper off the wing after making two free throws to put Atlanta back ahead 105-104 with 34.9 seconds left.
Cousins then pushed through a double team and missed a layup but put back the rebound for a 106-105 advantage. Atlanta's Paul Milsap answered with a pullup jumper from the left key wing after Cousins' near steal and Atlanta led 107-106 with seven seconds left, setting the stage for Collison.
Milsap finished with 25 points and Schroeder scored 20 for Atlanta.
NOTES: Kings F DeMarcus Cousins will be suspended one game for every second technical foul he receives the rest of the season. Cousins, who has hit 106 technical fouls since entering the league in 2010, reached the 16-technical threshold for suspensions in 52 games, the fewest in league history since the NBA instituted the rule in the 2005-06 season. The rest of the Kings have combined for 13 technical fouls. ... Hawks G Thabo Sefolosha hasn't played in seven games since Jan. 27 because of a groin injury. The Hawks, who give up 100.9 points per game with Sefolosha in the lineup, were allowing an average of 112.5 points in the previous six contests without him. ... Kings G Ty Lawson missed the game with a strained left hamstring and remains day-to-day. ... F Omri Casspi, who had been pushing for Friday return, remained sidelined with a calf tendon strain. ... Hawks co-owner Grant Hill received the NCAA's Gerald R. Ford award for showing significant leadership in advocating for college sports and donated the $25,000 honorarium to Atlanta's Morehouse College, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.