Apr 12, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) takes a shot over Sacramento Kings forward Jason Thompson (34) and Patrick Patterson (9) during the first half at the AT

There’s certainly no shame in a Sacramento Kings team losing a road game to the San Antonio Spurs. But while the score ended up somewhat close, the Kings just did not play efficient basketball. The effort was there, but production was hard to come by, and that was due in large part to the Spurs stingy defense and fluid offense. Sacramento never recovered from a first quarter in which they shot 21 percent and scored just 13 points. The Kings made several impressive runs, but the Spurs responded to every punch, eventually finishing off Sacramento, 108-101.

BACKCOURT DUD – On Wednesday, it was Isaiah Thomas, Tyreke Evans and John Salmons who drove the Kings to victory over New Orleans. In San Antonio, all three failed to show up, and as a result, the Kings offense stalled. Thomas (22 MIN, 6 PTS, 3-10 FG, 3 AST, 2 TO, 3 STL) played very poorly, failing to orchestrate any offense for himself or others. Aside from back-to-back three-pointers in the third, Evans (21 MIN, 9 PTS, 3-9 FG, 2 AST, 3 TO) was equally disappointing. Neither Thomas nor Evans could find any holes to attack the Spurs defense. Add in the fact that Salmons (0-4 FG), who dropped 22 on the Hornets, went scoreless in 20 minutes, and it was not the makings of a successful night for Sacramento.

TRANSITION FAILURES – While the Kings fought for every offensive opportunity they got, the Spurs continually exploited Sacramento’s failure to get back on defense. Every missed shot or turnover by the Kings was pushed up court, and especially in the first half, Sacramento was simply beaten down the floor. The Kings failed to set up their defense early, and the Spurs took advantage. San Antonio shot 54.5 percent for the game, and all seven Spurs who saw at least 15 minutes of court time scored in double figures.

BENCH TAKEOVER – With the starting backcourt failing to ignite the offense, Keith Smart turned to a reserve unit of Toney Douglas, Jimmer Fredette and Marcus Thornton to spark the team. For the most part, it was mission accomplished. Douglas (26 MIN, 15 PTS, 6-11 FG, 3-4 3FG, 7 AST, 3 REB, 4 STL, 0 TO) was the team’s MVP — an absolute pest defending Tony Parker and Nando de Colo and also extremely efficient as the Kings floor general. Fredette (24 MIN, 14 PTS, 5-8 FG, 2-3 3FG, 2 AST) provided a solid scoring presence, though his defense was a liability the Spurs attacked in the second quarter. Thornton (30 MIN, 12 PTS, 4-10 FG, 4-7 3FG) caught fire in the second frame but was too inconsistent to be relied upon to carry the team. All three saw the floor more than the aforementioned struggling starters.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS – DeMarcus Cousins and Jason Thompson formed a solid frontcourt pairing. A combined 37 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks … Chuck Hayes (17 MIN, 0 PTS, 0-3 FG, 2 REB, 3 AST, 2 TO) was downright awful. He was a complete wreck offensively, and you never sensed his presence on defense. He left Matt Bonner open for some triples in the second half … Cousins picked up his league-leading 15th technical foul; one more earns him a one-game suspension.

FLAT STARTS – The Kings started this game with an embarrassing display of ball control that cost each starter his spot on the court. After four turnovers and three missed layups in the first 4:36, Keith Smart took drastic measures, replacing all five starters. Couldn’t fault the coach for that one — it truly was unacceptable. But if you thought the Kings got the message, you would be wrong. After a better second quarter, the Kings came out in the second half and laid another egg. The team missed six of its first seven shots, all misses coming within 10 feet of the basket. A 14-point deficit at halftime was 28 after three quarters, as the Kings just continually failed to execute all night.

STOPPING THE SPURS – While the Kings offense failed to perform up to par, San Antonio had no trouble carving up Sacramento’s defense. The Kings were frequently caught ball watching, giving up countless backdoor cuts or conceding far too much room to Spurs shooters. Eight Spurs scored in double figures. Manu Ginobili was not one of them, as he was too busy orchestrating. Ginobili dropped an impressive 15 assists in just 23 minutes of court time, and the Spurs shot 60.7 percent from the field thanks to this crisp ball movement.

THRIVING THORNTON – Marcus Thornton did a lot of his damage with the game out of reach, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Buckets has regained his outside shooting stroke. Thornton (32 MIN, 25 PTS, 8-13 FG, 2-5 3FG, 7-7 FT, 5 AST, 1 STL) got cooking in the second half in San Antonio, and when the first few dropped, there was no reason for him to stop. Since the All-Star break, Thornton has hit 20 threes in six games, giving the Kings that perimeter weapon they have craved all season.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS – DeMarcus Cousins (21 MIN, 9 PTS, 4-9 FG, 7 REB, 0 AST, 4 TO) played a dud of a game. Soft on defense, sloppy on offense, more concerned about discussing matters with the refs than physically battling the Spurs … Hard to assess any Kings players in this one, but I continue to be impressed by the Tyreke Evans (22 MIN, 10 PTS, 3-7 FG, 2-2 3FG, 2 REB, 2 AST, 4 TO, 2 STL) of late. Just rounding into a smarter, more complete player. And if he wants to keep throwing in 75-footers, more power to him … Equally unimpressed by Jimmer Fredette (20 MIN, 2 PTS, 1-3 FG, 3 AST, 2 TO), who lately hasn’t looked like an NBA player. Hesitant to shoot, too loose with the dribble and overmatched as a defender. With Aaron Brooks now out of the picture, he should get a chance on most nights to be a contributor. Gotta seize the opportunity.