Game Preview: Thunder At Kings
By TAYLOR BECHTOLD
STATS Writer
Michael Malone wasn't able to keep the Sacramento Kings from falling into a tailspin without DeMarcus Cousins. Now the club will have to find their way out of it under new leadership.
Playing for the first time since Malone's sudden firing as coach, the host Kings hope to avoid their ninth loss in 11 games Tuesday night against a resurgent Oklahoma City Thunder team seeking its seventh straight win.
Sacramento general manager Pete D'Alessandro cited philosophical differences over the team's style of play after dismissing Malone just 24 games into his second season over the weekend.
"It wasn't about wins and losses," D'Alessandro said. "I don't really care what our record was. It's really about who we want to be, what we want our identity to be as a team."
Although they won nine of their first 14 games, the Kings (11-13) have struggled since Cousins was hit with viral meningitis following a 102-89 loss at Houston on Nov. 26. They fell to 2-7 without the star center Saturday, shooting just 35.5 percent and committing 16 turnovers in a 95-90 home loss to four-win Detroit.
"I would be lying if I said I didn't feel that it was partially my fault," said Cousins, who is averaging 23.5 points and 12.6 rebounds. "In reality it isn't, but me personally I feel like it is."
D'Alessandro said the time was right to bring in a coach who can implement an uptempo offense more like the one the Kings had when they went to the playoffs eight straight years starting in 1998-99.
While Cousins remains day to day, Sacramento faces a tough test against the Thunder (11-13) as it tries to avoid a season high-tying fourth straight loss in its first game under interim coach Tyrone Corbin.
Corbin went 112-146 in three-plus seasons as coach of the Jazz and was not offered a contract after last season.
"It's difficult for players to change mid-stride," he said. "You have to not confuse them and get them thinking."
Oklahoma City's 3-12 start seems like a distant memory now that Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are back. The Thunder have won eight of nine and six in a row after Durant returned in a 112-104 loss at New Orleans on Dec. 2.
The reigning league MVP has scored 20.9 per game on 51.1 percent shooting since missing the first 17 with a broken foot, while Westbrook has averaged 27.3 with a 50.3 field-goal percentage in eight games back from a broken hand.
Oklahoma City has scored 110 points per game over its last four - almost 15 more than its season average - after Westbrook had 28 and Durant 23 in Sunday's 112-88 home win over Phoenix.
"We're just focused on playing good basketball, and everything else after that takes care of itself," Durant said.
Reggie Jackson finished with 22 points and Jeremy Lamb added 17 when the Thunder defeated Cousins and the visiting Kings 101-93 on Nov. 9 without Durant and Westbrook. Oklahoma City has won 11 consecutive meetings and 17 of the past 18.
Rudy Gay led the Kings with 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in that game, though he's shot a combined 10 of 40 for 33 points over his last two contests.
Sacramento's Darren Collison had a season-low three points Saturday while missing nine of 10 attempts after he averaged 21.6 on 49.4 percent over his previous five games.
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