Game Preview: Kings At Nets
By JORDAN GARRETSON
STATS Writer
The Sacramento Kings are hoping to find a rhythm again with DeMarcus Cousins healthy, but they need to get back to playing better defense.
Though the Brooklyn Nets have Deron Williams and Brook Lopez back from injuries, neither is playing up to expectations.
Sacramento looks to win consecutive games for the first time in more than a month Monday night when it visits Brooklyn.
The Kings (13-17) won for the second time in nine games with Saturday's 135-129 overtime victory over New York. Cousins had nine of his season-high 39 points in the extra period after sitting out Friday's loss in Phoenix due to a stomach ailment. Sacramento improved to 11-8 when he plays.
"We've been struggling to find a way to win," said Darren Collison, who was 9 of 10 for 27 points. "When you struggle so much, you really don't know how to win. It's just good to get a win under our belt right now so we understand this is how we need to play."
Collison has shot 50.7 percent in wins compared to 41.4 percent in losses.
Sacramento still hasn't defeated a .500-or-better team since a 99-89 victory at New Orleans on Nov. 25, the last in a stretch of three straight wins.
The defense has become a major concern with opponents averaging 114.2 points over the last six games. They allowed 100.1 points per game
during a 9-6 start before Cousins missed 10 games with viral meningitis.
"We have to get back to being the real Kings," said Cousins, who has averaged 29.3 points in four games since returning. "That's wanting to defend at a high level, taking pride in actually playing defense. We can't be a team that comes out every night and tries to outscore people. That's not us."
The Nets (13-16) had a season-high three-game winning streak snapped in Sunday's 110-85 loss to Indiana, matching their biggest loss of the season. They were outscored 60-38 in the second half and shot 36.4 percent overall.
Joe Johnson was 4 of 12 while Lopez, playing his third game in a row after missing eight with a strained back, failed to score a point for the first time since the sixth game of his rookie season. Williams was 2 for 7 for seven points while playing for the second straight game after missing two contests with a strained right calf. The two combined for five assists and five turnovers.
Coach Lionel Hollins, who played them off the bench, said "they have to play better for us to be better."
"He's right, he's definitely right, we do have to play better," Williams said. "We're two of the highest-paid players on the team and so that's our responsibility to play better. Hopefully we can accept that challenge. I do, I think Brook does and just move forward."
Lopez is shooting 52.9 percent and averaging 7.3 rebounds in victories compared to a 44.6 shooting percentage and 4.3 rebound average in losses.
The Kings have lost four in a row on the road. Brooklyn has won five straight home meetings and eight of 11 in the series overall.
Rudy Gay has averaged 24.0 points while shooting 55.6 percent over his last four road games against the Nets.
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