NBA Recap: Stephen Jackson dominates as Charlotte Bobcats squeak past the Sacramento Kings 94-89
Stephen Jackson led all scorers with 21 points as the Charlotte Bobcats opened their six-game West Coast road trip by topping the Sacramento Kings 94-89 at ARCO Arena.
Gerald Wallace scored 19 points and D.J. Augustin added 16 for Charlotte, who won for the third time in the previous four matches. Kwame Brown also contributed 13 points and a season-high 18 rebounds for the North Carolina franchise
who are 9-6 since Paul Silas took over as their interim coach on December 22.
Bobcats head coach Paul Silas appreciated the team effort of his players, "This one kind of sets the tone for us. The guys know that they can win out here and that is the main thing. They have not won too many games on the road
but this was critical for us to win this one. Now, they are upbeat."
Tyreke Evans and forward Carl Landry scored 19 points apiece in the home defeat. Jason Thompson scored 14 points for the Kings, who have dropped five of the last six games.
The biggest disappointment of the night was DeMarcus Cousins, who fouled out in the fourth quarter with nine points and just three rebounds in 20 minutes. He shot just 2-for-9 from the field on the night.
The Kings were seeking a back-to-back win for only the second time this season and the first time since November 1, but luck was not on their side as they finished just five points away from the victory.
The Kings had a dreadful shooting night, hitting at a 36 percent from the field and just 8.3 percent (1-for-12) from the 3-point range. However, they stayed in the game by turning the ball over just nine times and grabbing 16 offensive
rebounds.
The game started with both teams maintaining parity. However, the Bobcats took a 21-19 lead in to the second period. The Bobcats turned the heat on the second quarter. Wallace had 10 of his 13 points in the frame as the Bobcats
built a double-digit lead. Evans scored nine points for the Kings, who shot only 32 percent in the first half.
The Bobcats shot 60 percent from the field during the second quarter, taking a 52-42 lead into the locker room.
Both teams came out flat in the third quarter, playing sloppy basketball. However, the Kings made 9-of-10 from the charity line as they cut their deficit down to 76-67 entering the fourth quarter.
The Kings had just five turnovers through the game's first three-and-a-half quarters but committed four turnovers in the final six minutes and that proved to be their downfall.
After trailing by as many as 14 points, the Kings brought it back to a three-point game at 79-76 with just over eight minutes remaining in the game. Sacramento never got any closer though.
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