Kings Blog and Q&A

CLEVELAND - It's been said by many that Jason Thompson might be the most consistent King this season.

His scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and free throw percentage are all above his career averages while his personal fouls are below his career average, too.

Thompson is averaging 11.4 points and 7.8 rebounds while shooting 51.4 percent.

Thompson had a team-high 19 points and 10 rebounds in the Kings 97-94 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

Kings coach Keith Smart has come to rely on Thompson every night, even if he doesn't bring up Thompson often.

"J.T.'s one those guys that's a coach's dream because you always forget about him," Smart said. "You look at the stat sheet, you look at film, and you see this guy is doing all the little things. He's one of those utility men that on a basketball team you really, really need. I never worry about him. I know he's going to play to well all the time for the most part and give a good honest effort all the time."

Thompson did pick up his fifth technical foul of the season Wednesday. That might garner more attention if Thompson wasn't playing with DeMarcus Cousins, who has seven.

"We'll look at the film and see if he was really trying to pass the ball to the official as he said he was," Smart said.

*The Kings were happy to win a close game on the road (finally) after breaking down at Detroit late.

As Thompson put it, the Kings like to make things interesting and even did so against Cleveland after leading by 10 in the third quarter.

"We knew we had to get his one going to Toronto and then Brooklyn," said Francisco Garcia. "This is where confidence is built. We got this one. Now we've got to go to Toronto."

Added Smart:

"There are a lot of games where we've been right there. Then here comes a quick drive, a quick shot, a turnover, a missed block out, all those things. Fouling a guy at the wrong time. All of it came together for the most part (Wednesday). And that's been our Achilles' heel trying to close games out on the road."

"It's about patience, playing the clock and trying to take advantage of what the opponents are doing defensively as well as offensively."

*Here is DeMarcus Cousins (18 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, two steals) from postgame media time.

It also should be noted Cousins had only one turnover, a big sign he isn't rushing on the floor and picking up cheap offensive fouls.

FINAL
Kings 97, Cavaliers 94

CLEVELAND - The Kings (12-20) won their second road game of the season thanks to a strong showing from DeMarcus Cousins (18 points, 16 rebounds, six assists) and Jason Thompson (19 points, 10 rebounds).

Francisco Garcia had 14 points and Aaron Brooks came off the bench to add 13 points.

The Cavs (7-26) were led by Kyrie Irving (22 points, six assists) and Dion Waiters (20 points).

The Kings led most of the fourth before Irving gave the Cavs a 90-89 lead on two free throws.

Cousins then found John Salmons for the go-ahead three pointer with 52.9 seconds to play and the Kings never trailed again.

THIRD QUARTER
Kings 74, Cavs 71

CLEVELAND - DeMarcus Cousins is up to 18 points and 14 rebounds as the Kings have a slim lead trying to get their second road win of the season. Jason Thompson has 15 points and eight rebounds for Sacramento. The Kings led by as many as 10 points in the quarter.

*The Cavs are shooting just 35.8 percent but are hanging around because they are plus-12 in three pointers over the Kings and plus-3 in free throws.

*Dion Waiters has 16 points for the Cavs. Kyrie Irving and Alonzo Gee each have 14 points.

The Kings are shooting 45.3 percent (29 of 64), but have missed 9 of 10 from three-point range.

HALFTIME
Cavaliers 53, Kings 52

CLEVELAND - The game has remained close throughout the first half. The biggest lead has been five points by the Kings. The game has been tied seven times and there four lead changes.

*DeMarcus Cousins has 11 points and nine rebounds to pace the Kings. Jason Thompson has 10 points.

*The Cavs received a boost from Dion Waiters off the bench. The rookie had 14 points, all in the second quarter.

*The Kings have a 28-14 advantage in points in the paint.

*The Cavs are shooting just 40.5 percent but have made 17 of 19 free throws.

FIRST QUARTER
Kings 28, Cavaliers 25

CLEVELAND - DeMarcus Cousins has exploited the absence of injured Cavs center Anderson Varejao for nine points, six rebounds and two assists to get the Kings off to good start on offense.

The Kings are shooting 50 percent (11 of 22) and have nine assists.

*C.J. Miles has 12 points to lead Cleveland. The Cavs shot 8 of 21 in the first quarter. Miles made four of his eight shots.

*The Kings have outscored the Cavs 16-6 in the paint.

*The Kings attempted one three pointer in the first quarter. The Cavs shot six, making one.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Rebounding was a concern of the Kings before the season and it still is.

The Kings were down 95-93 with 2:50 to play when they were unable to secure a rebound off a missed free throw.

Jason Maxiell grabbed the rebound and made one of his two free throws to make the score 96-93.

FINAL
Pistons 103, Kings 97

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The (11-20) Kings pulled within one in the fourth quarter but had some critical mistakes in the final minutes to lose for the 13th time in 14 road games.

DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings with 21 points and 14 rebounds.

Greg Monroe had 18 points and 11 rebounds for Detroit (12-22).

The Pistons shot 52 percent for the game while the Kings were at 41.9 percent.

THIRD QUARTER
Pistons 80, Kings 67

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The Pistons haven't cooled off after making 10-of-16 shots in the third quarter. Detroit is up to 55.2 percent for the game while the Kings have slipped to 42.9 percent.

*DeMarcus Cousins has 21 points, 12 rebounds and three steals for the Kings. But the offense has been a struggle since the first quarter. After 28 points in the first 12 minutes, the Kings have scored 21 and 19 points in the next two quarters.

*Brandon Knight has missed only three of his 11 shots and has 19 points for Detroit. The Kings have been outrebounded 34-24. No King besides Cousins has more than three rebounds.

HALFTIME
Pistons 58, Kings 48

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - There was plenty going on before halftime. The second quarter saw the Kings fall behind by 15 and Charlie Villauneva ejected for a flagrant foul 2 on Isaiah Thomas.

Villanueva fouled Thomas while he was airborne with four seconds left in the half. Thomas jumped up to challenge Villanueva. Thomas appeared to swing at Villanueva but was not called for a technical foul or ejected.

*The Kings shot 36.8 percent (7 of 19) in the second quarter. They've also given up 16 points off 10 turnovers.

*Thomas leads the Kings with 12 points. DeMarcus Cousins has 11 points and seven rebounds.

*Brandon Knight has 15 points for Detroit. Will Bynum had 10 pints, all in the second quarter. The Pistons are shooting 52.4 percent

FIRST QUARTER
Kings 28, Pistons 27

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The Kings and Pistons are both shooting well. The Kings, however have seen their eight-point lead diminish because of turnovers. The Kings have allowed 12 points off six turnovers.

*The Kings shot 57.9 percent (11 of 19) while the Pistons shot 61.1 percent (11 of 18).

*Isaiah Thomas led the Kings with 10 points. Brandon Knight had 13 points and three assists for Detroit.

*Marcus Thornton (sprained left ankle) did not dress for the game.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Aaron Brooks (sore left ankle) participated in practice tonight and is expected to play Tuesday night when the Kings play the Detroit Pistons.

Brooks sat out Sunday win with the injury.

But you won't be seeing Marcus Thornton tomorrow night.

Kings coach Keith Smart said it would take a "miracle" for Thornton to play with his sprained left ankle.

Thornton was in a walking boot tonight and still moving gingerly on his ankle.

"He's still ginger, he's still tender," Smart said of Thornton. "It was amazing that it was just a sprain because it was one of those deals where might see it broken."

Kings guard Tyreke Evans will see Dr. Steve Lombardo in Los Angeles on Wednesday for a second opinion on his sore left knee, the team announced this morning.

Lombardo is the team physician for the Los Angeles Lakers and specializes in shoulders, elbows and knees.

Evans did not travel with the team for their four-game road trip that starts Tuesday in Detroit. The team charter flight was due to leave Sacramento at 10 a.m.

Evans has played in only 18 games because of his knee. He'd targeted Sunday's game against Boston to return.

Evans is averaging 15.1 points, second on the Kings this season.

Kings guard Tyreke Evans will see Dr. Steve Lombardo in Los Angeles on Wednesday for a second opinion on his sore left knee, the team announced this morning.

Lombardo is the team physician for the Los Angeles Lakers and specializes in shoulders, elbows and knees.

Evans did not travel with the team for their four-game road trip that starts Tuesday in Detroit. The team charter flight was due to leave Sacramento at 10 a.m.

Evans has played in only 18 games because of problems with his knee. He'd targeted Sunday's game against Boston to return.

Evans is averaging 15.1 points per game, second on the Kings this season.

So ... do you think Isaiah Thomas is comfortable back in the starting lineup?

"If you want to say that," Thomas said. "I'm just out there playing basketball, trying to make plays and trying to be aggressive."

Thomas was a point off his career high with 27 points in Sunday's 118-96 win over the Boston Celtics. It was his second consecutive start after losing the job after nine games this season.

With Aaron Brooks dealing with a sore left ankle, Thomas might not be giving up the starting point guard job anytime soon.

"That guy has an infectious personality," said Kings coach Keith Smart. "He has that magnetism that brings players and people around to him. He brought that energy to start the game off right with him in the starting lineup. All of our guards do a great job, but what he has been able to do is to kind of give us a little injection of the steam that we need. He's done that, plus he's making his shots."

Thomas' play as a rookie earned him two Western Conference Rookie of the Month awards and helped the Kings move Tyreke Evans from point guard.

Maybe Thomas will be key in keeping the Kings from floundering at the bottom of the standings the rest of the season.

*James Johnson had another productive game off the bench (10 points, six rebounds, three assists). Jimmer Fredette had 10 points and five assists off the bench. This could be a trend to watch with the Kings without as many as three guards going into Tuesday's game at Detroit.

Tyreke Evans won't play while the status of Brooks and Marcus Thornton's status is in question.

*The Kings have had leads of as many as 26 points in back-to-back games.

*After a miserable start at home in November, the Kings were 6-1 at home in December.

*The normally woeful-shooting Kings are 25-for-50 on three pointers in their last two games. They also shot 53.7 percent against Boston. The Kings are 5-1 when they shoot 50 percent or better.

FINAL
Kings 118, Celtics 96

The Kings (11-19) won their second game in a row led by Isaiah Thomas (27 points, five assists), John Salmons (23 points), Jason Thompson (20 points) and the first career triple-double for DeMarcus Cousins (12 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists).

The 10 assists are a career high for Cousins.

The Kings shot 53.7 percent for the game and registered 28 assists, the fourth consecutive game the Kings have had at least 28 assists.

Paul Pierce led Boston (14-16) with 20 points.

THIRD QUARTER
Kings 84, Celtics 73

The Kings lost another guard to injury. Marcus Thornton landed awkwardly after making a three pointer and being fouled by Jason Terry and had to be helped off the court.

The Kings are already without Tyreke Evans and Aaron Brooks tonight.

*The Kings continue to shoot well (50. percent) and get quality looks against the Celtics (48 points in the paint). Jason Thompson has a season-high 20 points to lead the Kings.

*Jeff Green has 16 points to led Boston. The Celtics are shooting 39.4 percent.

*The Celtics shot 33 percent (8 of 24) in the third quarter.

HALFTIME
Kings 54, Celtics 49

Both teams had no problem scoring in the second quarter. Jason Thompson had 13 points to lead Sacramento. John Salmons has 11 points.

*Jason Terry and Jeff Green each have 14 points to lead Boston.

*The Kings have 38 points in the paint to help them shoot 51.2 percent for the game. But they've allowed 15 points off nine turnovers to help keep the Celtics in the game. Boston is shooting 42.9 percent.

*After making a season-high 15 three pointers on Friday, the Kings have made just one of their six threes.

FIRST QUARTER
Kings 24, Celtics 18

The Kings probably should have a bigger lead considering they shot 50 percent (11 of 22) while Boston shot 28.6 percent (6 of 21). But the Celtics are hanging around after trailing by 10.

*The Kings outscored Boston 22-8 in the paint.

*Isaiah Thomas has 10 points to lead the Kings. Jason Thompson has eight points. DeMarcus Cousins has four points, four rebounds and four assists. Jeff Green has five points off the bench to lead the Celtics.

*The Kings are without Tyreke Evans (sore left knee) again. He'll now seek a second opinion on his knee after targeting tonight's game to make his first appearance since Dec. 16.

*Aaron Brooks (sore left ankle) did not dress for the Kings.

If not for a DeMarcus Cousins steal and a James Johnson three pointer at the buzzer, the Kings likely lose Friday night's game to the New York Knicks.

Then Keith Smart's decision to take "a chance" and not go back to his hot second-unit of Jimmer Fredette, Francisco Garcia and Aaron Brooks would have been cited by many as the reason the Kings blew a 27-point lead.

Smart explained why he didn't go back to that unit earlier in the third quarter as the Knicks made their run:

"I had to look at the size they still had on the floor. I kind of rolled the dice a little bit, took a chance. We didn't need offense, we needed stops. We needed more stops than anything else. So we didn't need a trio of offense. That group got us off to a tremendous start offensively but we needed guys that could kind of hold down the fort a little bit."

*During the Kings' stagnant stretch, they went to DeMarcus Cousins in the post against Tyson Chandler and got nothing out of it.

Smart said he didn't call for those plays. He's tried to go away from asking Cousins to operate on the block against a set defense, especially against a defender the caliber of Chandler.

Cousins' strength is not his post game, and challenging Chandler wasn't going to work.

"As the point guard I thought I had something but coach kind of got on me," said Isaiah Thomas. "We need to keep the floor spaced and attack from there and then drop it off to the bigs when we do attack."

*Smart did not address why Thomas Robinson didn't play when asked Friday night. The rookie is shooting just 40.4 percent this season, so that might have something to do with it.

Also Johnson played the backup power forward spot Friday night and had 17 points.

FINAL
Kings 106, Knicks 105

James Johnson's three pointer at the buzzer gave the Kings the win after they'd blown a 27-point lead and trailed by four late in the game.

The Kings scored just 35 points in the second half.

Marcus Thornton led the Kings (10-19) with 18 points. Johnson finished with 17 points.

J.R. Smith led the Knicks (21-9) with 28 points.

The Kings made a season high 15 three pointers for the game.

THIRD QUARTER
Kings 87, Knicks 81

No better way to follow up a season high for points in a half than with 16 points in the third quarter, right?

That 27-point lead from the second quarter is long gone. You can thank J.R. Smith, who scored 11 of his 24 points in the third for leading the way.

*Marcus Thornton is up to 18 points to lead the Kings. DeMarcus Cousins has 15 points and eight rebounds. But he also has four fouls.

*Tyson Chandler has controlled the paint with 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Knicks.

*The Kings have a new season high with 12 made three pointers.

HALFTIME
Kings 71, Knicks 50

*The Kings matched their season-high for points in a half with a shooting clinic. The Kings made 10 of 15 threes and are shooting 59.5 percent for the game. The Kings already have 19 assists.

*Jimmer Fredette looked like Vinnie Johnson with 15 points off the bench in the second quarter. Four Kings have scored in double figures.

*The Knicks were led by J.R. Smith and Chris Copeland with 13 points apiece. The Knicks have 10 turnovers, leading to 12 points for the Kings.

*The Kings have only four turnovers.

FIRST QUARTER
Kings 32, Knicks 23

DeMarcus Cousins is back in the starting lineup (six points, two rebounds) and Isaiah Thomas is back in the starting lineup (six points, three assists). The Kings used hot shooting on three pointers (4 of 7) to help build a lead.

*Marcus Thornton led the Kings with 11 points. Tyson Chandler led the Knicks with eight points.

*The Knicks are without two starters - Raymond Felton (broken finger) and Carmelo Anthony (hyperextended left knee).

*Kings coach Keith Smart gave no indication he'd change his starting point guard before the game. Thomas started the first nine games before Aaron Brooks took over.

*The Knicks missed all six of their three pointers.

Friday is the next chance for Kings coach Keith Smart to play his starting center that has missed the last 2 ½ games for disciplinary reasons.

Monitoring when Cousins plays is one thing. The relationship between and Cousins and Smart is something else to watch.

Smart made progress in building a relationship with Cousins after the center's strained relationship with Paul Westphal. Once Cousins didn't trust Westphal, it didn't matter what the coach said, he'd lost Cousins.

So Smart did all he could to build a bond. He visited Cousins at home. Got to know him on a personal level and tried to get to know Cousins as a person, not just a player.

Smart has to be wary of the same situation Westphal dealt with. Not that he'll be fired, as Westphal was after his final spat with Cousins. But with the Kings at 9-19 the locker room is already on edge after every loss.

Add an important and angry player to that, the mix could be toxic.

Also add that Cousins is very big on loyalty. His final straw with Westphal was the press release about his request for a trade (which Cousins maintains he never made).

Cousins felt he tried to be mature with Westphal and he was embarrassed in return.

Not sure how Cousins will deal with being reinstated on Monday only to be told that night he wasn't traveling with team on Tuesday to Portland.

That could be just as embarrassing as being sent home by Westphal for asking to be traded.

Cousins maintains he doesn't want to be traded. But two bad coaching experiences could make the center's new agent, Dan Fegan, put pressure on the Kings to get him out of Sacramento.

How Smart navigates this will be interesting. It doesn't sound like he'll be devoting inordinate time to Cousins.

"You can't tax yourself focusing on one player because you'll get burnt out," Smart said.
"You've got other guys you've got to be responsible for also."

Smart acknowledges this isn't easy. In sports the more talented players get away with things a player at the end of the bench can't attempt.

Smart used the example of a player like Carmelo Anthony being allowed to take shots another player would be benched for attempting.

Cousins presents Smart with challenges not just in that area. But it's also in how he interacts with teammates and coaches.

This all began with an argument between Smart and Cousins that became too personal.

"The focal point for us is to keep having our base coverage rules and when guys step over those particular lines it's going to be tough," Smart said.

*As for tomorrow's game against the New York Knicks, Smart said after practice he knew if Cousins would play but hadn't told him yet. Of course, Smart didn't tell the media, either.

*Tyreke Evans (sore left knee) plans to try and play Sunday when the Kings host the Boston Celtics.

PORTLAND - DeMarcus Cousins' pockets won with reinstatement, but Keith Smart apparently still has final say over who plays.

I wondered how Smart and the Kings would deal with Cousins sitting on the bench if he were healthy and not playing.

Smart answered that by not bringing Cousins to Portland.

FINAL
Trail Blazers 109, Kings 91

PORTLAND - The Kings could not overcome a poor second quarter and lost to the Blazers Wednesday night at Rose Garden.

John Salmons led the Kings (9-19) with 19 points.

LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland (14-13) with 28 points. He also had 12 rebounds. J.J. Hickson added 17 points and 14 rebounds while rookie point guard Damian Lillard had 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.

After allowing the Kings to record a season-high 31 assists Sunday in Sacramento, Portland had a season-high 31 assists tonight.

The Kings and Blazers split the four-game season series with each team winning a home and road game.

THIRD QUARTER
Trail Blazers 91, Kings 67

*The Kings continue to fall further behind as their shooting continues to slip. After shooting 52.4 percent to start the game, the Kings are now shooting 39.1 percent (25 of 64).

*Portland is dominating the glass with a 41-25 rebounding advantage. J.J. Hickson and LaMarcus Aldridge have 25 rebounds between them for Portland. No King has more than six rebounds.

*Aldridge has a game-high 24 points to go with 11 rebounds. Hickson has 17 points and 14 rebounds. Damian Lillard has 11 points and 10 assists.

*John Salmons has 19 points for Sacramento. The only other King in double figures is Jason Thompson with 11 point

HALFTIME
Trail Blazers 62, Kings 44

PORTLAND - The Kings are shooting more like the Kings. After a 6-for-20 showing in the second quarter the Kings are down to 41.5 percent for the game.

*The Blazers are still hot (57.5 percent from the field) have four playes that have scored in double figures. Nicolas Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge each have 13 points.

*John Salmons led the Kings with 11 points.

*Both teams had eight turnovers but the Kings allowed 14 points off their turnovers while scoring just four off Portland turnovers.

FIRST QUARTER
Trail Blazers 31, Kings 26

PORTLAND - The Kings (52.4 percent) have shot well and already have 10 assists, but the Blazers have been a little better (56.5 percent shooting). The difference has been second-chance points where the Blazers have a 7-0 advantage.

*The Blazers have a 13-6 rebounding advantage, led by LaMarcus Aldridge with five. The Kings are without leading rebounder DeMarcus Cousins, who is not with the team after being reinstated from his suspension Monday.

*John Salmons led the Kings with nine points. Aaron Brooks had six points and four assists.

PORTLAND - Kings center DeMarcus Cousins is not with the team and will not play against the Portland Trail Blazers.

It was coach Keith Smart's decision not to bring Cousins on the trip.

Cousins was reinstated from an indefinite suspension Monday, but Smart said reinstatement meant Cousins could would be allowed to practice, not necessarily play.

This will be the second game Cousins missed since his verbal altercation at halftime of last Friday's loss to the Clippers in Los Angeles.

Smart benched Cousins for the second half of that game and left him in the locker room for the remainder of the game.

The Kings beat the Trail Blazers, 108-96, Sunday without Cousins.

Tyreke Evans (sore left knee) also did not make the trip.

Evans has played in three games since he bumped knees with Andrei Kirilenko Nov. 27. Evans will have missed 10 of the last 13 games because of his knee.

TODAY'S GAME

Kings (9-18) at Trail Blazers (13-13)

Time: 7 p.m.

Where: Rose Garden, Portland

TV: CSNCA

Radio: KHTK (1140)

PROBABLE STARTERS

KINGS

No. Player Pos.

3 Aaron Brooks G

23 Marcus Thornton G

5 John Salmons F

52 James Johnson F

34 Jason Thompson C

TRAIL BLAZERS

No. Player Pos.

0 Damian Lillard G

18 Victor Claver G

88 Nicolas Batum F

12 LaMarcus Aldridge F

21 J.J. Hickson C

The Kings have reinstated DeMarcus Cousins after indefinitely suspending the third-year center on Saturday.

"He's been reinstated, yes," said Kings coach Keith Smart. "That doesn't mean he's playing right away."

Cousins practiced Monday morning and declined to speak with reporters afterward.

DeMarcus Cousins, who was suspended indefinitely by the Kings on Saturday and missed Sunday night's victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, has been reinstated immediately, the team announced this morning.

Cousins practiced with the team and will play at Portland on Wednesday night.

Update: Smart says Cousins reinstated, will play 'at some point'

Travis Outlaw has scored in double figures three times this season. Twice that has happened against his former team, the Portland Trail Blazers.

Outlaw scored a season-high 15 points in the Kings 108-96 win over Portland on Sunday.

"They must have did him real wrong," joked Kings coach Keith Smart. "They must have did him very bad in Portland."

FINAL
Kings 108, Trail Blazers 96

Six Kings scored in double figures as the Kings (9-18) won for the second time in three games. The Kings totaled a season-best 31 assists while shooting 55.6 percent. Marcus Thornton led the Kings with 22 points.

*Seven Kings had at least two assists, led by John Salmons (seven) and Aaron Brooks (six).

*The Blazers (13-13) shot just 43.5 percent and had 17 turnovers, leading to 22 points for the Kings.

*Travis Outlaw scored a season-high 15 points off the bench for the Kings.

*The Kings made 9-of-19 three pointers.

THIRD QUARTER
Kings 80, Trail Blazers 71

The Kings have already matched their season high with 25 assists. Seven players have at least two assists, due in part to the Kings' hot shooting. The Kings are shooting 51.5 percent tonight (34 of 66).

*The Kings have 22 points off 16 Portland turnovers. The Kings have given up nine points off 12 turnovers.

*Marcus Thornton has 15 points to lead the Kings. Four Kings have already scored in double figures. Three more Kings have at least eight points.

*The Blazers are shooting 40.6 percent (26 of 64). Nicolas Batum has 17 points to lead Portland.

HALFTIME
Kings 49, Trail Blazers 42

The Kings are sharing the ball, playing defense and getting contributions from unlikely sources to take the lead. After falling behind by 10 early in the second quarter, the Kings rallied thanks to their reserves and led by as many as 11 points.

*Travis Outlaw has 13 points off the bench for the Kings. Isaiah Thomas has eight pints and five assists.

*The Kings already have 17 assists. That's not a typo.

*The Kings held Portland to 15 points in the second quarter on 7 of 24 shooting. The Kings have 15 points off 11 Portland turnovers.

FIRST QUARTER
Trail Blazers 27, Kings 21

The Kings forced seven turnovers and converted them into eight points. But the Kings shot just 41.7 percent. If the Kings can begin to shoot better, they should be in position to compete in this game.

*The Blazers shot 52.6 percent and made three of their five three pointers.

*The Kings started the game with Aaron Brooks, Marcus Thornton, John Salmons, James Johnson and Jason Thompson.

The Kings are without Tyreke Evans (sore left knee), Francisco Garcia (sore lower back) and DeMarcus Cousins (team suspension).

Thompson led the Kings with eight points and three rebounds. Nicolas Batum has seven points and three assists for Portland.

I'm very curious as to how the Kings respond to playing without DeMarcus Cousins, who has been suspended by the team indefinitely.

Privately players have wanted coach Keith Smart to take a harder stance with the third-year center. Someone summed it up with me saying if you think Cousins' is a handful in games, you should see his act in practice.

Well if Cousins is that taxing on his teammates, I expect to see a very energized Kings team this evening.

DeMarcus Cousins has been suspended indefinitely by the Kings for "unprofessional behavior and conduct detrimental to the team," club President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie announced in a release today.

The Kings third-year center was ordered to remain in the locker room after a halftime verbal altercation with coach Keith Smart on Friday night at Staples Center while facing the Clippers. Smart and Cousins got into it verbally at the end of the first quarter.

Cousins expressed remorse for his latest transgression in a brief career marred by similar incidents.

Said Cousins to The Bee's Jason Jones on Friday after the game, "What happens in the locker room stays in the locker room but I was wrong."

Cousins told Jones that he has to react better to tense situations.

"Don't talk back," he said. "That's the thing. I shouldn't have responded back. Should have accepted what was said and stayed quiet....I messed up. I'm apologizing to all my teammates for it, for responding the way I did, and we'll move on from it...I grow from all of my mistakes."

Said Smart to Jones on Friday night, "We're trying to set a standard for all of our players and all our guys who are here. When guys don't fall in line to that we've got to move on."

Cousins is averaging 16.6 points and 9.5 rebounds. He told The Bee's Ailene Voisin earlier this season that he's struggled on the floor, that he's "in a funk" and that his emotions continue to get the best of him.

- Joe Davidson
- On Twitter: @SacBee_JoeD

LOS ANGELES - Keith Smart is one of DeMarcus Cousins' biggest supporters.

Apparently that doesn't mean Smart will allow Cousins to speak to him however he likes. And that's why DeMarcus was left in the locker room for the second half of Friday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Cousins went at his coach verbally after Smart said something to him at halftime. So Smart decided the Kings were better off without their leading scorer and rebounder.

"We're trying to set a standard for all of our players and all our guys who are here," Smart said after the game. "When guys don't fall in line to that we've got to move on."

Smart intends to maintain this stance, too. You have to assume that means penalties will escalate if the behavior does not change.

Smart wouldn't address whether Cousins would play in Sunday's game against Portland. If he does, another blowup could mean suspensions for conduct detrimental to the team.

Cousins doesn't believe Friday's incident will be held over his head and that he and Smart can move past the incident.

"It happens all the time between players and coaches," Cousins said. "I believe we'll talk about it, get past it and we'll move forward."

*With all the Cousins news and a tight deadline (the later start cuts of 30-40 minutes of working time) I barely mentioned what happened during the game in the story. Well here it goes:

*Jimmer Fredette led the Kings with 16 points. And on a night the Kings allowed 24 points off 16 turnovers, Fredette had no turnovers.

*The Clippers destroyed the Kings on the glass wit a 53-32 rebounding advantage. Rebounding was a concern of Smart's to start the season.

*Why are the Clippers so good? Two of their best players (Lamar Odom, Jamal Crawford) aren't starters. And Eric Bledose is pretty good, too.

* Thomas Robinson had four fouls and just one rebound in 18 minutes. The Kings need more than that from their backup power forward.

*The Kings' starting five had 12 assists. Chris Paul had 13 by himself for the Clippers.

*After shooting 50 percent on Wednesday in beating the Warriors, the Kings shots 41.8 percent Friday.

LOS ANGELES - Here are some quotes from the Kings locker room regarding DeMarcus Cousins being left in the locker room at halftime of tonight's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers after a verbal altercation with head coach Keith Smart.

Smart on why Cousins didn't play in the second half:

"It was conduct detrimental to the team and we left it at."

Smart on if Cousins would play Sunday against Portland:

"I'm going to focus on tonight and then I'll move forward to the next day."

Cousins said he "was in the wrong" during halftime.

"What happens in the locker room stays in the locker room but I was wrong. But what happens in the locker room stays in the locker room."

Cousins was then asked what he could do to avoid further situations where attention was on his actions off the court.

"Don't talk back. That's the thing. I shouldn't have responded back. Should have accepted what was said and stayed quiet."

Cousins said the situation was humbling.

"I messed up. I'm apologizing to all my teammates for it, for responding the way I did, and we'll move on from it...I grow from all of my mistakes."

FINAL
Clippers 97, Kings 85

LOS ANGELES - The Kings didn't have enough to take down the hottest team in the NBA.

The Clippers (20-6) won their franchise-record 12th consecutive game, led by Blake Griffin (21 points, 12 rebounds) and Chris Paul (24 points, 13 assists).

Jimmer Fredette had 16 points off the bench for the Kings (8-18).

The Kings played the second half without DeMarcus Cousins, who was left in the locker room after halftime after a verbal altercation with coach Keith Smart

THIRD QUARTER
Clippers 73, Kings 62

LOS ANGELES - The Kings cut the Clippers' lead down to six, but now without their top-2 scorers (DeMarcus Cousins, Tyreke Evans) the Kings could not sustain the run.

Marcus Thornton has 11 points to lead the Kings. James Johnson has eight points off the bench. But the Kings have allowed 18 points off 13 turnovers.

Blake Griffin has 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Clippers. Chris Paul has 18 points and 12 assists.

HALFTIME
Clippers 53, Kings 39

LOS ANGELES - The story here isn't the score, but what happened at halftime. WE don't for sure, but it led to the Kings returning to the court without DeMarcus Cousins.

Cousins is not on the bench and will not play the rest of the night. It's not injury related, a coach's decision.

Cousins had nine points, five rebounds and three assists. This is the latest thing to pop up with the Kings and Cousins, who has already been suspended twice by the NBA this season.

FIRST QUARTER
Clippers 29, Kings 21

LOS ANGELES - The start wasn't as horrible as the Kings' last trip here, but it's still not what they'd hoped for.

The Kings already have six turnovers that have led to nine points for the Clippers. Blake Griffin (11 points) and Chris Paul (eight points, seven assists) are playing like stars and the Kings haven't shown they have an answer for them.

The Kings are without Tyreke Evans (sore left knee) and Francisco Garcia (sore lower back). Marcus Thornton started at guard for Garcia, who had been starting for Evans.

Thornton has 10 points.

LOS ANGLELES - Rather than go with five things to watch, I figured it's time to go back to the old format (considering that has three keys).

You'll find that below as it ran in today's newspaper after some pertinent pregame information.

*Tyreke Evans (sore left knee) and Francisco Garica (sore lower back) are officially listed as day-to-day. Expect both to be game-time decisions.

*Chauncey Billups (foot) is out for the Los Angeles Clippers.

*The Clippers' 11-game winning streak is the longest active streak in the league.

*Another reason to play Jimmer? Jimmer Fredette leads the NBA in free throw percentage (95.5 percent, 42 of 44) and has made his last 31 free throw attempts.

Fredette's last miss was Nov. 23 at Utah when he missed the first of two free throws with 6:51 left in the second quarter.

Fredette was 8-of-8 from the line against Golden State on Dec. 19. That was a career high for free throws made and tied his career mark in attempts.

*The Clippers have a four-game winning streak against Sacramento.

TODAY'S GAME

Kings (8-17) at Clippers (19-6)
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles
• TV: CSNCA
• Radio: 1140, 950

THREE KEYS
• Withstand the first blow: The Clippers, who have won 11 consecutive games, have the ability to jump on a team quickly. The Kings have to maintain their composure and not get behind early.
• Running up the score: The Kings have given up season highs in points (122, 127) in two of their past three games. The Clippers are too good for the Kings to allow that many points and have a chance to win.
• Health watch: Tyreke Evans (sore left knee) and Francisco Garcia (sore lower back) are questionable. If they can't play, Jimmer Fredette and Isaiah Thomas are the two guards on the bench.

PROBABLE STARTERS

KINGS

No. Player Pos.
3 Aaron Brooks G
23 Marcus Thornton G
5 John Salmons F
34 Jason Thompson F
15 DeMarcus Cousins C

CLIPPERS

No. Player Pos.
3 Chris Paul G
34 Willie Green G
5 Caron Butler F
32 Blake Griffin F
6 DeAndre Jordan C