Rudy Gay needed that game winner in Utah Thursday night. The 29-year-old forward has struggled in big moments since becoming a Sacramento King, but his 17-footer with 0.6 seconds remaining gave his team a huge 103-101 victory over the Jazz.
Not only did the win pull the Kings to within one game of the Jazz for the eight seed in the Western Conference, but it also snapped the team’s 0-9 record in the second game of a back-to-back. Regaining the confidence to win in this scenario may be bigger than the victory itself.
“What do I do, stop shooting?,” Gay asked reporters following the game. “It’s something I have always done in my career. I had the ball in my hands and haven’t been able to make too many since I’ve been here, but it was just good to see that one go.”
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It wasn’t just the game winner that Gay knocked down. With rumors swirling that he was on the trade block earlier in the day, the veteran forward scored the Kings final eight points on his way to a 24-point, nine-rebound, three-steal performance.
Gay looked energized and ready to compete from the opening tip. Even on the defensive end he played well, helping to hold Gordon Hayward to 4-of-17 shooting on the night.
The Kings led by as many as 18, but they struggled to put the Jazz away. Utah erased a 14-point fourth quarter deficit and tied the game on a Joe Ingles 3-pointer with 4.9 seconds remaining.
“They’re a good team. We knew we weren’t going to blow them out. They played well. They played solid and hit big shots. They made it a game.”
NBA
This is a theme to this Kings season. They take big leads and then give them back. It’s something the team has been working to solve for months. Gay's big shot helped the team avoid yet another major setback.
“It’s the NBA, baby,” George Karl said following the game. “I’ve watched the same screenplay twice a night. Leads on the road don’t last. We can’t give them three three-point plays in the last three possessions. I’m just flabbergasted. I’m happy we won. It’s a process. You aren’t going to be brilliant at closing all games in one month or even in 30 games. It’s going to take the whole season.”
Gay’s late game heroics overshadowed another brilliant performance by All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins. The big man finished the night with 36 points and 17 rebounds. He has scored 29 or more in every game this month and he has pushed his season averages up to 26.1 points and 11.0 rebounds per contest.
“Some people have said it’s been the best he has played since he has been in Sacramento,” Karl said. “It’s probably the best, I think, in being consistent and committed. He’s offended when we lose. When we lose games, it seems he is being responsible.”
The Kings are 4-3 in their last seven games and showing signs of improvement. Losses like Wednesday night’s stumble to the Pelicans continue to plague this team, but to quote coach Karl, “It’s a process”.
WELCOME BACK TO THE STARTING LINEUP ROOKIE
Willie Cauley-Stein started 14 of the Kings first 20 games before a gruesome finger injury shelved him for a month. The 7-footer sat on the bench nearly the entire month of December while trying to heal up. According to the Kentucky product, he gained some much needed perspective and it now looks he is ready to contribute in a major way.
“When I get in there, I just do the same thing as if I come off the bench,” Cauley-Stein told reporters. “I just play with a lot of energy. You can only control your energy and effort so I just try to fly around and be really active and make everybody else do it. That’s my game plan when I go in there. I don’t really think about it.”
Sacramento has searched for an identity on the defensive end all year. The constant switching has resulted in plenty of open lanes to the hoop. Without a shot blocker hanging back to protect the rim, the Kings’ guards have been exposed time and time again.
Cauley-Stein specializes in defense. He is as long and athletic a player that the NBA has to offer and his instincts usually lead him to the right spot.
“I thought Willie Cauley-Stein was really good defensively in his assignments early in the game with his activity and his length,” Karl said. “Having him and Cousins in the game was productive.”
The Kings still struggle to defend the 3-ball, but this is a work in progress. Getting Cauley-Stein back on the floor for meaningful minutes was a huge plus.
In addition to his defensive game, Cauley-Stein is figuring out ways to produce on the offensive side of the ball as well. In his first stint as a starter, the rookie stayed out of the way on offense, which allowed opponents to sag off him and put more pressure on Cousins. Since returning from the finger injury, he has been active with cuts to the hoop and putback dunks.
It might be a few years before the Kings call an offensive play for Cauley-Stein, but if he forces the opposition to at least stick with him, it opens the floor for everyone else.