Cousins has 27 points and 11 rebounds as Kings beat Knicks 99-97
DeMarcus Cousins had 27 points (16 in the paint) and 11 rebounds, and the Sacramento Kings held off the New York Knicks 99-97.
The Kings took control with an 18-5 run bridging the first and second quarters and led by as many as 19. The Kings led 70-51 with 4:47 left in the third quarter, and the Knicks cut it to 2 in the final seconds. Carmelo Anthony’s driving layup made it 99-97 with 8.6 seconds left, and Arron Afflalo stole the ball from Darren Collison with 5.9 seconds left. After a timeout, Anthony missed a 28-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have put them ahead.
During clutch time, the Kings outscored the Knicks 11-9. In the fourth quarter, Lance Thomas had 2 of his 3 steals.
Rajon Rondo had 16 points (10 in the paint), 9 rebounds and 12 assists on 7 for 10 shooting. Rondo assisted on 6 of Cousins’ 12 baskets.
For the Knicks, Anthony had 23 points and 14 rebounds.
The Knicks turned it over 19 times, about 4 more than usual for this many possessions. The Kings outscored the Knicks 62-26 in the paint.