A sellout crowd saw the hometown team put on a show as soon as the game tipped-off on Saturday at Sleep Train Arena. A quick 7-0 burst in the first two minutes set the scene for a night filled with impressive play, as DeMarcus Cousins netted 13 first quarter points.
Rookie Willie Cauley-Stein quickly made his way to the highlight reel after a coast-to-coast block and dunk.
At the end of the first half, the purple and black held a 50-45 advantage, with 24 points coming from Boogie alone. Another strong defensive effort held the opposition to sub-45 percent shooting in the first half, forcing seven turnovers along the way.
While Indiana matched Sacramento’s 27-point fourth quarter, the Kings were able to hold the Pacers to just 7-of-22 shooting (31 percent) in the frame, their best defensive performance in any quarter. Boogie’s 15 points in the final 12 minutes came on 5-of-6 field goals to end with a career-high 48 points.
“Honestly I’m more happy about the win – I’m glad I got a new career-high but I’m more happy about the way this team is playing,” said No. 15. “We’ve been through a lot this season, a lot of ups and downs, but we’re on the right path right now. I think we’re growing each and every game. Like I’ve been saying, my mindset is just playoffs.”
- Rajon Rondo’s 11-point, 10-assist and 10-rebound triple-double marked his sixth of the season, a new Sacramento era record for the most triple-doubles in one season.
- No. 9 dished 10 or more assists for the 29th time this season tonight, the third most 10-assist games in the Sacramento era. His Sacramento era record of games with at least 10 assists extended to 11 consecutive games in the victory.
- Cousins’ 48 points set a new career-high and matched Kevin Martin for the most points in a regulation game in Sacramento-era history.
- The All-Star big man joins Chris Webber (1/5/01 vs. Indiana) as the only players in Sacramento-era history to have a 40-point, 10-rebound game.
- With Willie Trill starting alongside DMC, the team improved to 11-3.
The Kings will continue their homestand on Monday night against the Charlotte Hornets.
