A Royal Pain
Fansided

Highs and Lows: Sacramento Kings Take Win In Mile High

By Rafe Wong

Jan 3, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) shoots the ball over Sacramento Kings center Kosta Koufos (41) during the first half at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) shoots the ball over Sacramento Kings center Kosta Koufos (41) during the first half at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Sacramento Kings got back on track tonight as they defeated the Denver Nuggets by a score of 120-113. Listed down below are the highs and lows of tonight’s game pertaining to the purple and white.

HIGHS

Starting Bigs: The Kings’ starting bigs  indeed played big on both ends of the court tonight. The final stat line for the duo of DeMarcus Cousins and Kosta Koufos: 49 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and just 1 turnover. The pair also shot a combined 18-34 from the floor as well. DeMarcus dominating a game, that is a given. But adding Koufos’ efficiency to the mix gave Denver’s defense havoc.

Darren Collison: With Rudy Gay being absent tonight for the Kings, the team needed to rely on another scoring option other than DeMarcus Cousins. Darren Collison stepped up to the challenge

For the night, Collison scored 26 points while shooting 10-16 from the court. This season, Collison hasn’t been able to show the same level of offensive production that he has shown in previous seasons, but tonight’s performance might get him into a rhythm going forward.

Arron Afflalo: Afflalo played tonight’s game how Kings fans envisioned he would normally perform on a regular basis. Tonight, Afflalo used the midrange area of the court for most of his offensive production. As a result, he finished the game scoring 19 points on 8-11 shooting. It has been a disappointing campaign for Afflalo so far, but tonight’s game could potentially help him get back on track.

LOWS

Defending Denver’s Starting Bigs: The Kings’ defense had to handle a load tonight against the bigs on Denver’s starting lineup. The trio of Nikola Jokic, Wilson Chandler, and Danilo Gallinari finished the game recording 52 points and 14 rebounds while shooting 18-34 from the court.

Perimeter Defense: For the night, the Nuggets shot an effective 18-38 from beyond the perimeter, which kept the team breathing in the later stages of tonight’s game. Defending the three has been a struggle for the Kings this season. Prior to tonight’s match, the Kings were ranked 27th in the league in defending the three, allowing opponents to shoot 37.2% from the perimeter.

Ben McLemore: Ben McLemore is still trying to find his niche since being implemented into the starting lineup. For the night, McLemore recorded 6 points, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds while shooting 2-4 from the floor. Although McLemore’s performance wasn’t bad, it wasn’t as efficient as his other teammates. He was one of the only two players on the Kings to record a negative =/- tonight (-1).

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