Coming off a few good wins, the Kings carried some of that confidence into this week. Unfortunately, confidence alone doesn't trump skill and experience, and both Boston and San Antonio were able to comfortably win their games. In a funny coincidence, both Boston and San Antonio came to Sacramento fresh off big wins against the Lakers. That didn't mean they were going to let up on the Kings however.
Boston came in and played a very physical game. It was also clear they were trying to get into the mind of young, volatile big man DeMarcus Cousins. It worked a little bit early, as Cousins struggled to get going from the field, but he made some adjustments after halftime and ended up with a good game, scoring 20 points.
The Kings actually led the Celtics by as much as 9 at the halftime thanks to their bench. Pooh Jeter and Donté Greene came in and provided a big spark for Sacramento, which helped turn a 7 point Boston lead into a Kings advantage. Boston tightened it up in the 2nd half however, and ended up leading by 10 for most of the final quarter.
The Spurs game was a bit different. At no point during the game did the Kings come remotely close. The Kings came out very lethargic, and the Spurs jumped out to a quick 12-2 lead. Whether it was the stars or the bench, San Antonio seemed to know exactly what it should be doing and played very unselfish team basketball. The Spurs ended up leading by as much as 25, and had a 20 point lead for most of the game before the Kings made a few pointless baskets at the end to make it seem closer than it actually was.
In other news, the Kings had DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans named to the Rookie and Sophomore teams for the Rookie Challenge during All-Star weekend. Evans is the reigning Rookie Challenge MVP, while Cousins is a deserving selection for the rookie team, as he is 3rd in PPG and 2 in RPG among Rookies.
In injury news, Francisco Garcia still has no return date for his sprained calf. Jason Thompson missed both the Boston and San Antonio game due to a sprained ankle, but is set to make his return to the starting lineup tonight against Utah. Rarely used rookie Hassan Whiteside has a torn patellar tendon and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.