Sacramento Kings Blog – Page 57 – NBA Blog

Idea of NBA arena in Virginia Beach may not materialize

After years of talks, hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on consulting reports, and most recently an NBA team looking to re-locate, time seems to be running out on plans to build a new arena in Virginia Beach with the Sacramento Kings as the building’s main tenant.

Today, Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms and Peter Lukko, the president of Comcast Spectacor, will release a joint statement regarding their ongoing negotiations to get the arena deal done.

Unfortunately, those negotiations are at a stand-still.

— Reported by Bruce Rader of WAVY TV 10

Celtics have looked into trading for DeMarcus Cousins

According to league sources, the Celtics have, indeed, inquired about Cousins, but that shouldn’t come as a great revelation in that they, like most every NBA club, are constantly checking the marketplace to see if a bargain can be had.

Word is, however, that the Kings are asking for a high draft pick and people who can help them now. So, forgetting the fact the Celts’ first-round pick will be middle of the road at best, would you want to part with a young starter (and more) for someone as uncertain as Cousins?

Considering the talent the Kings already have in the backcourt, it’s possible the Celtics can’t even muster something that would be attractive enough for Sacramento — at least not at this moment. And you’d have to question whether you’d give up even equal talent for this guy, his abilities notwithstanding. What we know right now is that the Kings aren’t inclined to hold a fire sale.

— Reported by Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald

DeMarcus Cousins drops 31 points, 20 rebounds on the Raptors

Sacramento Kings coach Keith Smart called DeMarcus Cousins ”the guy who makes it all work for us.”

Friday night’s performance was the perfect example of that.

Cousins scored a season-high 31 points and matched his career high with 20 rebounds, John Salmons scored eight of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and the Kings topped the Toronto Raptors 105-96.

”He had the right energy to start the game, he had the right mindset of not trying to score 50 but trying to let his teammates play,” Smart said of Cousins. ”He’s in a good spot as a basketball player right now and he’s only going to get better.”

Salmons said Cousins is helping the Kings win by trusting his teammates and giving up the ball when he gets double-teamed…

Jason Thompson scored 14 points and Isaiah Thomas had 11 as the Kings won their second straight road game. They’d gone 1-13 away from home before winning at Cleveland on Wednesday…

Kyle Lowry scored 24 points and Ed Davis had 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors, who came in having won eight of nine and a season-best five straight at home.

”We did not have an answer for DeMarcus Cousins inside,” said Raptors coach Dwane Casey. ”We did not play with any zip. We were flat.”

Alan Anderson scored 20 points, DeMar DeRozan had 14 and Jose Calderon added 13 for the Raptors, who also lost 107-100 at Sacramento on Dec. 5.

— Reported by Ian Harrison of the Associated Press

Kings get second road win of season, in Cleveland

It’s one thing for DeMarcus Cousins to say the Kings play better when they share the basketball.

It’s another for Cousins to put that into action. Cousins has tried to do that more lately, and it’s working.

Cousins scored 18 points and grabbed 16 rebounds Wednesday, but it was a pass to John Salmons for his sixth assist of the night that was his biggest play in helping the Kings beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 97-94 at Quicken Loans Arena.

It was the Kings’ second road win in 15 games.

The Kings (12-20) trailed 90-89, having squandered a 10-point lead in the third quarter, when Cousins found Salmons in the corner for a three-pointer and a 92-90 lead with 52.9 seconds to play. Cousins’ six assists led the Kings.

— Reported by Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee

Tyreke Evans knee injury update

Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans will visit with Dr. Steve Lombardo in Los Angeles on Wednesday (1/2/13) morning to receive a second opinion on his sore left knee, according to Sacramento Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie.

Evans, who did not travel with the team on its current four-game road trip starting in Detroit on New Year’s Day, is averaging 15.1 ppg (.453 FG%, .300 3pt%, .792 FT%), 4.8 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.28 spg, and 30.9 mpg in 18 games this season.

Isaiah Thomas leads Kings past Celtics 118-96

Isaiah Thomas scored 27 points and made one of Sacramento’s two four-point plays in the second half as the Kings handed the Boston Celtics their third straight lopsided loss on a California road swing, 118-96 on Sunday night.

John Salmons added 23 points off the bench, Jason Thompson scored 20 and DeMarcus Cousins had 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his first career triple-double for the Kings, who ended the calendar year by winning their sixth home game out of the last seven.

The Celtics are going in the other direction after handily beating Brooklyn on Christmas Day. They followed that win with a trip to California to face the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State and Sacramento and got outscored by 69 points in losing all three.

The Kings were in control for most of this game and then pulled away with their long-range shooting in the fourth quarter. James Johnson and Jimmer Fredette made 3-pointers early in the fourth and then Salmons’ 3-pointer midway through the quarter gave the Kings a 100-84 lead…

Pierce scored 20 points to give him 23,189 in his career, passing Adrian Dantley for 23rd place all-time. Jason Terry also had 20 for Boston…

Sacramento G Aaron Brooks was sidelined by a sore left ankle.

— Reported by Josh Dubow of the Associated Press

DeMarcus Cousins not with Kings in 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 would be allowed to practice, not necessarily play.

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

— Reported by Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (Blog)

Sacramento Kings end suspension of DeMarcus Cousins

The indefinite suspension by the Sacramento Kings of center DeMarcus Cousins didn’t last very long.

The Kings reinstated Cousins, effective immediately. Cousins practiced with the team in Sacramento today.

Cousins, currently in his third NBA season, is averaging a team-high 16.6 points (.414 FGs, .200 3FGs, .769 FTs), 9.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.35 steals per game through 23 contests.

According to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee, “Cousins was reinstated Monday morning in time for the team’s practice. The Kings had suspended Cousins on Saturday morning after he met with basketball president Geoff Petrie and coach Keith Smart following an argument the center had with Smart during a road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. Cousins apparently was so profane and personal in his verbal confrontation with Smart in front of teammates during halftime that Smart benched Cousins and left him in the locker room for the second half of the defeat at Staples Center. Cousins said Friday night that he was wrong and “shouldn’t have responded back” to Smart.”

Sacramento Kings suspend DeMarcus Cousins for bad behavior

The drama in Sacramento continues.

Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie today announced that the team has suspended center DeMarcus Cousins indefinitely for unprofessional behavior and conduct detrimental to the team.

Cousins, currently in his third NBA season, is averaging a team-high 16.6 points (.414 FGs, .200 3FGs, .769 FTs), 9.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.35 steals per game through 23 contests.

Earlier today, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (blog) reported: “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.”

DeMarcus Cousins pisses off coach Keith Smart

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.

— Reported by Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (Blog)