Martin scores 22 on homecoming as the Rockets down the Kings 102-93
The Houston Rockets had 20 turnovers as compared to 13 from the Sacramento Kings but they took advantage of a clumsy conversion rate from the Kings in the final quarter to pull off a 102-93 victory at the ARCO Arena.
The Kings scored only four points over the final 9:09 minutes of the game and shot 5-of-18 in the fourth quarter as they slumped to their fifth straight defeat and 19th of the last 21 games.
Kevin Martin returned to the place where it all started for him and he made himself right at home as the maverick guard made a match-high 22 points to spearhead the Rockets.
DeMarcus Cousins had 19 points, eight rebounds and four blocks for the Kings as both the teams started the match at a furious pace. After an early 5 -0 lead, it took a Cousin’s jump hook shot to counter a 10-3 Houston surge and level it at 10 apiece.
The Kings kept a tight lid on the Rockets thereafter, never allowing them to nudge ahead and pulled off a 7 point unanswered spurt late in the first quarter to wrest a 31-26 advantage.
The game entered into a deadlock in the second quarter as both teams initiated a series of spurts in an attempt to gain dominance. The Kings reeled off a 16-8 run towards the end of the second frame to grab a 57-48 advantage, but Kyle Lowry nailed four consecutive
points to maintain a 5 point deficit at halftime.
The Kings continued to assert their dominance in the third quarter and a Donte Green 3-pointer gave them a 10 point lead, their biggest of the match. The Rockets though pulled within four immediately with two consecutive triple pointers and the match continued
to swing to and fro during the entire frame. The Rockets though had the better of the period as they outscored the Kings 29-26 to make it a two point game as the buzzer.
Houston didn’t take much time to make the matters even in the final frame with Jordan Hill making a reverse lay-up. Both the teams struggled with their shooting to start the quarter and Sacramento managed to stay ahead at 89-86, 9:11 left on the clock.
This was the point where the Kings shooting completely froze and the Rockets made them pay with a leisurely 12-4 run to blow away with the match.
Luis Scola finished with 17 points and nine boards while Kyle Lowry added 13 points and seven assists to complement Martin’s effort
The Kings succumbed to 23-12 fourth quarter submission and the Kings coach Paul Westphal expressed his frustration as his team continues its trend to flop miserably in the fourth quarter.
"We obviously haven't learned the secret of winning basketball games in the fourth quarter to say the least,”. He said. "I could be off by one, but I think this is the six of our last eight games we've either had the lead or are right there with a chance
to win the game in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter."
Kevin Martin who returned to haunt the club; he left at the start of the season after serving it for five and a half years, expressed his sympathy for the Kings.
"I love coming back to Sacramento and playing before fans who supported me for so many years," Martin said. "They are trying to find their identity. They're young. You can't just look at them as a bad team. They have talent and when they figure it out they're
going to be pretty good."
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