The Pacers headed to halftime on Wednesday night in Sacramento trailing the Kings 60-41 in the first game of a three-game Western Conference road trip.
Playing the final game of a seven-game homestand at their new home arena, the Golden 1 Center, the Kings got off to a hot start. Sacramento went 13-for-22 (59.1 percent) from the field in the first quarter, jumping out to a 34-21 lead.
The Pacers managed to mount a bit of a charge in the second quarter, thanks to Al Jefferson providing a nice boost off the bench and some sloppy play by Sacramento.
Jefferson connected on his first five shots and scored 14 points off the bench in the first half.
The Kings, meanwhile, committed seven turnovers in the first seven minutes of the second quarter, allowing Indiana to cut the deficit to eight points.
But Sacramento responded with another strong spurt, outscoring Indiana 20-9 over the final five minutes of the half to open up a healthy halftime lead.
The Pacers didn't have an answer for either of the Kings' top two scorers, DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay. Cousins, Sacramento's All-NBA center, had 19 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in the half. Gay added 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting.
Aside from Jefferson, Paul George led the Pacers with seven points in the first half.
The Pacers return home on Monday, Jan. 23 to host the New York Knicks at 8:00 PM ET. Find Tickets » Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »
TV: FOX Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host) Radio: 93.5 FM/AM 1070 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Pat Boylan (studio host) Away Game Night Special
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