The Sacramento Kings were without leading scorer Marcus Thornton on Tuesday night against the Phoenix Suns and it was apparent from tipoff that the team had very little flow without No. 23 on the court. The offense became stagnant far too often and players who probably shouldn't be taking shots were forced to play big minutes down the stretch.
The story of the night in Sacramento was DeMarcus Cousins. Despite the loss, the second year big man played the best game of his career thus far, going for 41 points and 12 rebounds against a tough Suns front court of Marcin Gortat and Robin Lopez. His demeanor on the court remains a work in progress for head coach Keith Smart, but Cousins is quickly turning into one of the elite centers in all of basketball at the age of 22.
Isaiah Thomas had a big night with 25 points and seven assists, and Terrence Williams came off the bench to score 16, dish out five assists and bring down six rebounds.
The Suns had six players score 12 points of more on Tuesday night, led by Gortat and his 20 points and 10 rebounds. Steve Nash added 18 and recorded 12 assists.
Next up for the Kings: a showdown at home with the Clippers and Blake Griffin on Thursday night.
For more on the club, head on over to Sactown Royalty.