The Sacramento Kings played the Orlando Magic tightly for about the first 45 minutes of the game. Then they couldn't execute down the stretch and ended up losing. It's a familiar symptom of this young and inexperienced team.
Hedo Turkogulu probably got lucky when he banked in a three. But Sacramento looked horrid down the stretch going the other way, as DeMarcus Cousins drove wildly against Dwight Howard and Tyreke Evans ended up attempting a no-look floater while staring at the opposite basket. Orlando meanwhile got a Ryan Anderson three and a few easy baskets to pull away late. Orlando simply executed down the stretch while Sacramento executed themselves.
The breakdowns at the end ruined a great game by Evans, who had 28 points and eight assists. Cousins added 16 points and 10 assists, J.J. Hickson had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Marcus Thornton had a mighty struggle from the field though, going 5 of 16 from the field and fouling out with 13 points.
Dwight Howard had a quiet game with five points and four rebounds, but Jason Richardson stepped up with 22 points, Glen Davis had 20 points and eight rebounds, and Ryan Anderson had 19 points and 11 rebounds.
To discuss the game with Magic fans, head to Orlando Pinstriped Post. To check the game with Kings fans, go to Sactown Royalty.