Kings, Hornets hit bumps in the road (Jan 28, 2017)
The Sacramento Kings lost a key player to a season-ending injury last week and a recent 2-10 stretch, which included five losses during a six-game homestand, dropped them to 10th place in the NBA's Western Conference.
But the Kings, who continue an eight-game road trip on Saturday evening in Charlotte against the Hornets, believe they're still in the playoff race.
"We've remained positive, we've remained together in this locker room and we're still believing," center DeMarcus Cousins told reporters after the Kings' unlikely 116-112 overtime win on Wednesday over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Sacramento coach Dave Joerger said, "We're trying to build and be better on a nightly basis in some areas. Had we won or lost this game, this is three in a row that we've played very competitively."
Sacramento is often held up as one the NBA's most dysfunctional franchises.
Cousins, fifth in the league in scoring at 28 points per game and recently selected to his third straight All-Star Game, was himself the subject of an in-depth profile in ESPN The Magazine: "Is DeMarcus Cousins undoing Sacramento, or is Sacramento undoing Cousins?"
The Kings (18-28) lost 115-111 on Friday night at Indiana. It was the second straight overtime game for Sacramento heading into the second of back-to-back games. The Kings are 2-7 in such situations this season.
Cousins and point guard Darren Collison both scored 26 points in the loss.
When Kings forward Rudy Gay tore his Achilles tendon a little more than a week ago, Cousins insisted the team would continue to fight.
"We've still got 13, 14 other guys in this locker room," Cousins told the Sacramento Bee. "As long as we're able to fight, we're going to fight. That's one thing about this team -- we don't stop fighting.
"Rudy's a huge piece of this team -- it (stinks) that he's gone and he can't join us on the floor -- but it's just an opportunity for the next man. I think you're seeing that. Guys are stepping up, and we're going to keep fighting."
The Hornets (23-24) have lost three straight, including 110-107 on Friday night in New York to the Knicks. The loss dropped Charlotte below .500 for the first time this season.
Kemba Walker led all scorers with 31 points for Charlotte.
On Thursday, Walker was selected to his first NBA All-Star team. He is Charlotte's first All-Star in seven years.
Walker and Gerald Wallace are the franchise's only All-Stars since the team returned to the NBA as the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004.
"Since day one, actually, with (head coach Steve Clifford), he's told me that I can be an All-Star in this league and it's up to me," Walker said. "The work I put into my game, things like that. Looking at who I am today, (I) got my name called and he was right."
Walker is averaging 23 points per game this season to lead the Hornets.
"It's special," he said of the All-Star nod. "I've worked really hard to try and become a better player each year in this league. I know there's been a lot of doubt about me coming up in this league."
The Kings play in Philadelphia on Monday night and the Hornets start a three-game western swing in Portland on Tuesday.
