Kings Stumble Against Clippers, 114-109
The Sacramento Kings came up short in their quest to avenge a season opening loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, losing 114-109 in Los Angeles on Saturday night.
One night after a convincing win over the Lakers, the Kings started quickly, jumping out to a 31-24 lead after one quarter. The Clippers, however, chipped away at the deficit in the second quarter, outscoring Sacramento by eleven to take a 59-55 halftime advantage.
Despite the Kings' losing DeMarcus Cousins for the second half with a sore achilles, the fourth quarter shared a fair amount of drama. Sacramento would briefly take the lead on a pair of Rudy Gay free throws with 6:13 remaining, but Los Angeles quickly recovered. The Kings would keep the score within one possession inside the final two minutes before J.J. Redick sealed the game at the foul line.
Rajon Rondo had 21 points and 8 assists to lead the Kings (1-2), who host Memphis on Tuesday.