Recap: Sacramento vs. LA Clippers

 

The Sports Network

Marcus Thornton and Toney Douglas combined for nine 3-pointers, while four other Sacramento players scored in double- figures in the Kings' 116-101 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.

Thornton's 6-for-10 shooting performance from beyond the arc helped him net 25 points and Douglas' three treys down the stretch helped seal Sacramento's third win in five games.

"It felt good," Douglas said of his performance. "It would have been just as good if somebody else would have hit them, as long as we win. If we win, I'm happy."

Douglas had 19 points while fellow reserve Patrick Patterson chipped in with 13 points as the Kings bench outscored the Clippers' reserves, 62-38. DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans each scored 17, with Cousins also posting 11 rebounds in the win.

The Clippers have lost four of seven and saw their five-game win streak over Sacramento come to an end. Chris Paul was 2-for-10 from the field, but posted a double-double with 11 points and 15 assists in defeat.

"We're not playing well enough right now," Los Angeles coach Vinny Del Negro admitted. "We're not guarding hard enough right now. We're not physically and mentally tough enough, especially when we have to be in the fourth quarter and that's definitely a concern."

Blake Griffin ended with 26 points and Jamal Crawford scored 25 off the bench.

The momentum of the contest shifted late in the third quarter when Matt Barnes rushed an uncontested fastbreak layup that would have given the Clippers a nine-point lead with under a minute left.

Instead, Sacramento rattled off 15 of the next 18 points and grabbed a 91-86 lead following a pair of driving scores from Evans just over four minutes through the fourth quarter.

With the Kings daring DeAndre Jordan to make a free throw, they twice fouled the poor shooting center intentionally with over four minutes left and he made just 1-of-4, which got the Clippers to tie the game at 94-94, but they never retook the lead.

Douglas broke the deadlock with a 17-foot jumper and soon after nailed three 3-pointers in a row to bust open a nine-point lead for the Kings. Thornton then added his sixth from beyond the arc to create a double-digit lead, 110-98, and Sacramento never looked back.

The Kings were 9-for-16 from three-point distance in the first half -- including 6-for-11 in the second quarter to help create a 56-54 lead at the break.

The Clippers, though, had started to create some separation late in the third by taking an 83-76 lead with under a minute left, but Barnes' missed layup ensued and seemed to halt momentum.

Game Notes

Read more Basketball Wires stories from the Miami Herald

Get your Miami Heat Fan Gear!

Join the
Discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere on the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

The Miami Herald uses Facebook's commenting system. You need to log in with a Facebook account in order to comment. If you have questions about commenting with your Facebook account, click here.

Have a news tip? You can send it anonymously. Click here to send us your tip - or - consider joining the Public Insight Network and become a source for The Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald.

Hide Comments

This affects comments on all stories.

Cancel OK

  • Videos

  • Quick Job Search

Enter Keyword(s) Enter City Select a State Select a Category