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Kings 104, Thunder 83
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Forward Rudy Gay scored 28 points, and guard Darren Collison added 24 as the Sacramento Kings never trailed during a 104-83 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday at Sleep Train Arena.
Center DeMarcus Cousins added 23 points and 15 rebounds for Sacramento. Guard Ben McLemore scored 11, and forward Carl Landry added 10 points to help the Kings beat the Thunder for the first time in their past 13 meetings.
Collison scored in double figures for the 15th time in his past 17 games and knocked down five of 10 shots from 3-point range as the Kings opened their longest homestand of the season with their most lopsided victory since a 131-109 thumping of the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 5. He also added six assists and hassled Thunder guard Russell Westbrook into 3-for-18 shooting and seven turnovers during a 10-point night.
Forward Kevin Durant finished with 24 points and nine rebounds for Oklahoma City, but the Thunder were drubbed for the second consecutive contest. Oklahoma City, which reached the .500 mark for the first time after a 3-12 start with a win over Washington last Friday, has dropped two straight since then by a combined 47 points.
Cousins recorded his 19th double-double of the season, including his 15th in Sacramento’s past 17 games. He also drew charges on three consecutive Oklahoma City possessions during a 10-3 run to start the third quarter that put the Kings ahead 63-46.
Sacramento never trailed and never led by fewer than six after running out to a 25-7 first-quarter lead. The Thunder missed 14 consecutive shots during one stretch and were 2-for-21 shooting to start the contest. Oklahoma City made only five of 21 shots in the third quarter.
Guard Reggie Jackson finished with 14 points off the bench for the Thunder, and forward Serge Ibaka had 11 points and 10 rebounds. But Oklahoma City finished with 24 turnovers.
Guard Dion Waiters, acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers by Oklahoma City in a three-team trade Monday that included the New York Knicks, missed eight of nine shots and had only four points in 22 minutes.
NOTES: In their first 12 games with C Kevin Durant and G Russell Westbrook in the lineup together, the Thunder went 9-3 and averaged 107.8 points per game while allowing 102.6, figures that would rank fourth and 23rd in the 30-team NBA. Westbrook averaged 26.3 points in those 12 games and Durant 24.5. … Kings G Ramon Sessions (low back strain) and F Omri Casspi (left knee bone contusion) both sat out with injuries. Sessions missed his seventh straight game, Casspi his three. Casspi missed seven consecutive games in December with the same ailment. … Westbrook is on pace to become the first player since Miami G Dwyane Wade in 2008-09 to average at least 27 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two steals a game. … Kings G Darren Collison made 31 of 49 (63.3 percent) shots from the field, including eight of 13 from 3-point range, in his previous five games.
