April 14, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) reacts after he was called for a technical foul in the first quarter against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

As the season creeps to its conclusion, the Sacramento Kings previous streak of productive basketball has apparently already ended. Sunday night’s game in Houston was an abomination, a mixture of disgraceful defensive effort with streetball-quality offensive rhythm. The Rockets, a team that loves to push the tempo, must have been thrilled to see the Kings roll out the red carpet. Aside from a small run in the second quarter, the Kings provided little resistance to the Rockets, and Houston buried Sacramento, 121-100.

TEAM MORALE HITS ZERO – Two of the most poignant images from the game were shots of Isaiah Thomas and DeMarcus Cousins on the bench. Both were completely dejected, heads hidden in towels as they watched the ugly events unfold Sunday. Cousins, we see pouting on a nightly basis, and his sadness is never a surprise. But when Thomas (28 MIN, 10 PTS, 2-9 FG, 10 AST, 1 TO) hits his breaking point, as a player who gave 100 percent effort but was absolutely no match for the steamrolling Rockets, you know you have a team morale problem. Obviously it stems mainly from just being a poor basketball team, but there are, of course, other factors: lack of confidence in the coaching staff, lack of leaders on the floor, the conclusion of a brutal losing season. It’s just tough to get your brains kicked in every night, and you can tell it’s wearing on many of the Kings players.

ROCKETS OPEN FLOOD GATES – As for the game itself, it really came down to a Rockets team committed to running the floor and creating the best possible opportunity. Whether that was at the rim or from long range, Houston was successful. The Kings 15 turnovers and 39 percent shooting gave the Rockets plenty of fast break opportunities. And the Kings lackadaisical effort in stopping Houston ensured most tries would be successful. As expected, James Harden dictated Houston’s offense, and the Kings couldn’t match up. The Rockets dropped 13-of-27 from three-point range and hit 54.2 percent from the field.

ONE NICE RUN – At the 9:10 mark of the second quarter, the Kings already found themselves down 43-28 and a true beating appeared to be on the horizon. But over the next five minutes, Sacramento reeled off a 14-2 run, powered by the dynamic guard play of Jimmer Fredette (21 MIN, 10 PTS, 5-14 FG, 5 AST, 5 REB, 3 STL). Jimmer is getting more aggressive, but he could even take it up another notch, and it’d be awesome to see his teammates actually look to set him up for a clean look. Nonetheless, for that brief period, the Kings flipped the script on a struggling Rockets team, turning steals and rebounds into quick outlet passes and transition attempts. The momentum reverted back to Houston quite quickly, as the Rockets finished the half on a 17-2 run of their own. But hey, at least the Kings gave fans five quality minutes.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS – Cole Aldrich (26 MIN, 12 PTS, 6-7 FG, 12 REB, 4 BLK) posted the best stat line of his career. While some of the numbers were accumulated in garbage time, the backup big man was active down low and finished nicely at the rim. Really not a bad 11th or 12th man as a 7-footer, but I could see him getting squeezed for better talent … Marcus Thornton played eight minutes and missed all six of his shots. He didn’t see the floor in the second half … Cousins picked up his 16th technical, which would result in a one-game suspension. However, the chances of it being overturned seem high. Violet Palmer read way too much into a light nudge Cousins gave to Greg Smith; a reputation technical if there’s ever been one … All three former Kings — Thomas Robinson, Aaron Brooks, Francisco Garcia — got some run in this laugher. They combined for four points in 23 minutes.

April 03, 2013; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings point guard Isaiah Thomas (22) drives in against Houston Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin (7) during the fourth quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Houston Rockets defeated the Sacramento Kings 112-102. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

No worries if Wednesday night’s game wasn’t high on your Sacramento Kings priority list for the day. After the city spent the day fighting to keep the team, the Kings took the court, welcoming back Francisco Garcia with the Houston Rockets. The two teams, both reliant on perimeter scoring, exchanged punches early on, but soon it was the Rockets who pushed ahead, thanks to the outstanding performance of Chandler Parsons. The Kings made several attempts at a comeback, but none were strong enough to overcome Houston’s ball movement. Sacramento just wasn’t crisp enough in its execution, and the result was a 112-102 victory for the Rockets.

KEITH SMART AT HIS FINEST – Kings coach Keith Smart has some redeeming qualities. Unfortunately, his fatal flaw will be his substitution patterns, and his moves Wednesday were some of his most mind-boggling. Sacramento found themselves down eight points early in the fourth quarter. Thanks to the hot shooting of Marcus Thornton (22 MIN, 21 PTS, 8-13 FG, 3-6 3FG, 2 STL), who scored the Kings first eight points of the quarter, the Kings pulled within three. But while Tyreke Evans, who scored 16 points in the third quarter alone, gathered dust on the bench, Houston gained separation. Sacramento got sloppy with Toney Douglas running the point, yet Evans and Isaiah Thomas (who played poorly but would have been an upgrade) rode the pine. Finally, Thomas returned at the 4:56 mark (Kings down nine) and Evans at the 3:46 mark (Kings down 11). Any time your best players aren’t in by the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter, your rotation has serious flaws. But to add insult to injury, Smart removed Thornton for Evans. Down 11, 3:46 left…Smart leaves in John Salmons (39 MIN, 0 PTS, 0-4 FG, 5 AST), who scored ZERO POINTS ALL GAME, and takes out Thornton, who finished with 21 points in 22 minutes. Where is the logic here? Many times, Smart is tough to understand but you can at least see the thought process. Wednesday night was inexcusable. Awful coaching.

MAKE YOUR LAY-UPS – The coaching was poor, but really, the Kings lost this one themselves. Sacramento dug its own grave in the first half by missing countless attempts at the rim. The team finished at 39.1 percent due in large part to failed shots within five feet. The Kings were able to get inside the Rockets defense, but it was all for naught, as everyone from Isaiah to the big men struggled around the basket. Meanwhile, Houston moved the ball around and got great looks at the basket, which were converted more often than not.

ISAIAH LOSES PG BATTLE – The effort was there, but this just was not Isaiah’s night. Thomas (35 MIN, 12 PTS, 3-16 FG, 1-7 3FG, 5 AST, 2 TO) was severely outplayed by his Rockets counterpart, Jeremy Lin. The outside shot wouldn’t fall early for Thomas, so he instead took to the dribble drive. But his frustration only grew as he was unable to convert at the rim and felt he took a few knocks that should have drawn whistles. The Kings have been so reliant on Thomas’ energy and efficiency since the All-Star break. His struggles were felt team-wide, and it was only magnified by Lin’s strong performance on the other side.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS – The Kings had a nice tribute to Francisco Garcia (13 MIN, 3 PTS) on the Jumbotron prior to the game. Players from both teams stopped warming up to take in the video montage, which concluded with a standing ovation from the Sacramento faithful. Very well deserved for a true professional and a great Sacramento King. Nearly every member of the Kings went over to Garcia at some point during the night to catch up … Jason Thompson (32 MIN, 17 PTS, 6-12 FG, 15 REB, 2 BLK) may have had a solid gripe about his late-game playing time as well. Thompson was the most steady Kings player in this one, finding a solid stroke from mid-range and gobbling up rebounds. Made the Rockets pay for leaving him open from 15 feet … Evans’ aforementioned third quarter was an excellent display. Tyreke (29 MIN, 22 PTS, 7-18 FG, 2-5 3FG, 4 REB, 4 STL) really took over the game at a time when the Kings were fighting to stay afloat.