Point guards help Kings cruise by struggling Bucks

Mar 5, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Isaiah Thomas (22) passes the ball to forward Reggie Evans (30) during the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Sacramento won 117-102. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

It’s still anybody’s guess which Sacramento Kings team will show up from night to night. That’s why even Wednesday’s road trip opener against the NBA-worst Milwaukee Bucks posed a challenge. Fortunately, the Kings refused to play down to the level of their opponent. Sacramento established itself as the clear better team, using terrific ball movement to pick apart the helpless Bucks defense. Led by their dynamic point guard duo, the Kings easily took down the Bucks for a 117-102 road victory.

ISAIAH LEADS THE WAY, THEN EXITS — Isaiah Thomas had probably the toughest matchup on the floor, taking on fellow young standout Brandon Knight. But as has been the case for much the year, Isaiah proved he can play with anyone. Thomas benefited immensely from Milwaukee’s soft defense. Open looks from the outside were the norm for Isaiah, and he killed the Bucks from the perimeter on his way to a team-high in points. Thomas’ night came to abrupt end in the fourth quarter when he received two technicals after a very minor incident with Khris Middleton. It was perhaps the quietest ejection in NBA history, but Isaiah had already done enough to ensure victory for his team.

MCCALLUM SHINES IN FRONT OF FAMILY — The best rookie on the Kings roster right now is Ray McCallum, and he again took advantage of his newfound opportunity. Playing in front of his mom and dad, Ray Mac had the shooting touch early, and his confidence grew from there. McCallum always carries that calm demeanor — he’s never out of control and rarely makes mistakes. He protects the ball and plays sound defense. When his offense is alive like it was in Milwaukee, he becomes a legitimate player. It was a great scene postgame with McCallum’s dad crashing the rook’s postgame interview to give his son some love.

RUDY’S FULL OFFENSIVE ARSENAL — Pitting an offensive weapon like Rudy Gay against a terrible defense like Milwaukee is almost unfair. Gay started the game by playing quarterback, threading the needle with a number of beautiful passes to his teammates for easy baskets. Later, Gay decided to show off his own game. He’s so skilled from within 15 feet, and he really took advantage of the Bucks inferior defending. It’s the Gay that Kings fans have been accustomed to seeing — always willing to share the rock but never hesitant to fill it up.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS — DeMarcus Cousins was strong again down low. He came out of the halftime break on fire from the midrange and really helped put the game away quickly in the second half. And again, no altercations … Reggie Evans continues to shine as much offensively as he does on the glass. Evans scored 13 points by getting to the line … Kings fans will be livid if Ersan Ilyasova isn’t suspended. The Bucks power forward was clearly seen throwing a punch to the midsection of Evans on a rebound attempt.