By: Eric He
DeMarcus Cousins scored 36 points and grabbed 20 rebounds, but the Kings couldn’t find their offense in overtime in a 101-95 loss to the Wizards on the road on Monday.
The Wizards scored the first seven points of overtime, helped by a three-pointer from Bradley Beal and second chance opportunities for Washington. Sacramento managed just three points in the extra session — a “too little, too late” three-pointer by Rudy Gay.
Cousins forced overtime with a tough driving layup with 10 seconds left in regulation, and John Wall missed a jumper at the buzzer to preserve the tie.
But for Cousins, it was just one of his spectacular baskets on a night where he carried the Kings — Gay was the second-highest scorer on the team with 18 points. Cousins hit on an array of contested jumpers that kept his team in the game.
Sacramento trailed 12-4 early but took a 53-50 lead into halftime after outscoring Washington 34-25 in the second quarter. After a tightly-contested third quarter, the Wizards jumped ahead by as many as eight points in the fourth, but the Kings grinded their way back into it.
It wouldn’t be enough, though, as the Wizards prevailed in overtime. Beal had a game-high 31 points, while Wall chipped in 19 points.
“This was a very winnable game,” Cousins told the Sacramento Bee. “Hopefully this doesn’t come back to bite in the butt later on.”
The Kings are now 1-1 on their six-game road trip. Next up, they play at Philadelphia on Wednesday.
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