A Royal Pain
Fansided

Highs and Lows: Sacramento Kings Lose Heartbreaker To Suns

By Rafe Wong

Feb 3, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) looks for a call against Phoenix Suns forward Marquese Chriss (0) during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 3, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) looks for a call against Phoenix Suns forward Marquese Chriss (0) during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Sacramento Kings ended tonight’s game with a loss as they were defeated by the Phoenix Suns by a score of 105-103. Listed down below are the highs and lows in tonight’s game pertaining to the Sacramento Kings.

HIGHS

Ben McLemore: In a game where the Kings were without Garrett Temple and Arron Afflalo, the Kings needed a two-guard to have a good game. Fortunately for the Kings, Ben McLemore rose to the occasion as he scored 18 points while shooting 6-12 from the floor. Tonight’s performance by Ben is what Kings fans envisioned he would play like on a consistent basis. Tonight showed that some confidence could go a long way for McLemore. Hopefully, that continues for the Kings going forward.

DeMarcus Cousins: Boogie Cousins was in full throttle in tonight’s game. For the night, Cousins recorded 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists, his second triple-double recorded for the season. Not only were the numbers good for DeMarcus, but his effort was shown on full display throughout the night as well. He continues to prove that he is an All-Star on a nightly basis.

Point Guards: The point guards for the Sacramento Kings, Darren Collison and Ty Lawson, helped lift the Kings’ offense tonight. For the game, the duo combined for 37 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. Aside from Cousins, Collision and Lawson have maybe been the best offensive players for the Sacramento Kings this season. Hopefully, this effectiveness continues going forward. The Kings hope so in order to keep their season alive.

LOWS

Guarding the Guards: The main trio of guards for the Suns, Devin Booker, Eric Bledsoe, and Brandon Knight, did a solid job in slashing through the Kings’ defense as a collective group. For the night, the trio scored 65 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and distributed 6 assists. The guards for Phoenix stepped up big time tonight, but it was Devin Booker that was the hero as he made the shot to seal the win for his team.

Malachi Richardson: With the absences of Arron Afflalo and Garrett Temple, it seemed like Malachi Richardson would receive significant playing time tonight. But after nine minutes of action, Dave Joerger had enough. For the short time he had, Malachi struggled to get in a rhythm offensively. For the night, the 21-year old finished the game with zero points on 0-3 shooting from the floor.

Perimeter Defense: The Kings continue to let the three-point shot be their opponents’ friend. For the night, the Suns shot 41.4% from the perimeter, none more important than PJ Tucker’s three-pointer in the final minute of the game. For the season, the Kings have allowed their opponents to make 37.4% of their perimeter shots. Once the Kings can find a solution to this issue is when their defense will vastly improve.

Home/Kings News