Kings Fall To Spurs On Night Council Votes In Support Of Team Staying In Sacramento
SACRAMENTO (AP/CBS13) — Tony Parker had 30 points and 11 assists to lead San Antonio to a 108-102 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night in a night the City Council voted symbolically in support keeping the team in Sacramento.
Danny Green scored 21 points, including 5-for-8 shooting on 3-pointers, for the Spurs, who have the top overall record in the NBA (43-12) as well as the best road mark (21-10) and have won 15 of their last 16 games. Kawhi Leonard added 15 points and Manu Ginobili 12 as San Antonio won at Sacramento for the 10 straight time.
Isaiah Thomas scored 22 points for the Kings, who have dropped three straight. Tyreke Evans had 20 points, Marcus Thornton added 16, and Jason Thompson and DeMarcus Cousins had 11 each.
The Kings were playing their first game at Sleep Train Arena since the All-Star break in what could be their last season in Sacramento. Earlier Tuesday, the Sacramento City Council voted 7-2 in favor of the symbolic resolution in support of keeping the Kings in Sacramento and building a new downtown arena.
City Manager John Shirey confirmed in the meeting that city officials have met with a potential investment group interested in buying the team and owners of the Downtown Plaza, the now preferred location of a new arena instead of the railyards site that was proposed in the deal the Maloof family walked away from last year.
The Maloofs have since struck a deal to sell the team to a Seattle group for an estimated $340 million, the Maloofs' share of the team the sales agreement valued at $525 million.
Mayor Kevin Johnson has yet to reveal those major equity investors, believed to be Ron Burkle and Mark Mastrov, but he said he'll announce details of Sacramento's plan to keep the team by March 1.
The NBA Board of Governors is expected to vote on the Kings' future when the owners meet in mid-April.
