A Royal Pain
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Highs and Lows: Sacramento Kings Win Tight One Against The Hornets

By Rafe Wong

Jan 28, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) runs into Charlotte Hornets forward Marvin Williams (2) during the first half at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) runs into Charlotte Hornets forward Marvin Williams (2) during the first half at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Sacramento Kings won a thriller tonight as they defeated the Charlotte Hornets by a score of 109-106. Listed down below are the highs and lows in this game pertaining to the Kings.

HIGHS

Boogie Cousins: It’s a given that DeMarcus Cousins is always a plus for the Kings, but tonight’s performance by the All-Star big was so nasty that it deserved recognition. For tonight’s game, Cousins finished with a final stat line of 35 points, 18 rebounds, and 4 assists for the night. Not only was Cousins able to load up the stat sheet, but he came up big when it mattered as he hit the game-winning shot that earned the Kings the victory. He continues to show that he is no doubt the best big man in the NBA today.

Spreading The Offense: The Kings were able to spread out the point distribution tonight which helped take some of the pressure off of Boogie. For the night, the Kings had five players who were able to score in the double digits. Those players were DeMarcus Cousins (35), Darren Collison (17), Anthony Tolliver (14), Arron Afflalo (13), and Willie Cauley-Stein (13). A complete team effort offensively for Sacramento.

Willie Cauley-Stein: A new year, a new Willie Cauley-Stein. For tonight’s game, Cauley-Stein displayed another solid outing as he recorded 13 points and 3 rebounds. After spending the early stages of the season mostly on the bench, Cauley-Stein has been granted opportunities recently to showcase his worth, and he hasn’t disappointed. He continues to find his niche on his team, and as result, he has averaged 7.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in his last six outings.

LOWS

Free Throw Battle: The free-throws were not kind to the Kings tonight as they only made 61.5% from the area. On the other hand, the shots from the charity stripe were kind to the Charlotte Hornets in this game as they made 91.7% of their free throws.

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Defense: The defense for the Kings was definitely a weakness of theirs in tonight’s game. For the night, they allowed the Hornets to score 106 points while shooting 48% from the floor. Although Sacramento only allowed the Hornets to make 32.4% of their perimeter shots, they did allow Charlotte to make some key three-pointers late in the game which kept the contest close. The offense for the Kings has been clicking as of late, but the defense still remains to be subpar. Sacramento hopes they can be efficient on both sides of the floor going forward. They will need to in order to be considered a legit playoff contender.

Stopping The Other #15: The Kings have a pretty good #15 of their own, but so do the Charlotte Hornets. Kemba Walker, who just earned his first All-Star nod this season, showed the Kings why he deserved to be an All-Star this season. For the night, Walkers recorded 26 points, 7 assists, and 3 rebounds for the game as he gave the Sacramento defense fits tonight.

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