Cousins On Contract Extension: "We'll Talk When It's Time To Talk," Kings Stop 3-G

Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, left, and Detroit Pistons' Aron Baynes, right, battle for a loose basketball at Golden 1 Center on Jan. 10, 2017. The Kings won the game 100-94 and ended a three-game losing skid. Publicity Agents photo art by T. Ray Harvey.

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Sacramento, Calif. – The Sacramento Kings finally realized what a must-win is and how to turn it into a winning result. On Tuesday night, they made good on both achievements

It was a hard-fought victory, but the Kings managed to defeat the Detroit Pistons 100-94 to win their first game on a seven-game homestand and stop a three-game losing streak in Sacramen to.

Despite foul trouble in the second half, DeMarcus Cousins had 24 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, one-blocked shot and a game-changing 3-point basket in the fourth quarter to help his team out of the doldrums.

The Kings were down by 18 points midway through the third quarter, but when Detroit’s shooting from the floor stopped firing on all cylinders, Sacramento made moves defensively and offensively.

“It’s a good win for us. Proud of our guys,” said Kings coach Dave Joerger. “It looked like there were times where they certainly could have really run us out the gym. We didn’t put our heads down and quit. We stuck in there.”

Anthony Tolliver, playing against his former team, had 17 points, four rebounds, and three assists for the Kings (16-22 overall, 8-10 G1C). Kosta Koufos added 12 points, eight rebounds, and one blocked shot in the victory. Koufos’ eight points and nine rebounds in the fourth quarter was a big help for Sacramento.

“I think everybody did a great job in the second half,” Koufous said. “We were playing a little bit lackadaisical (in the) first half defensively. But everybody did their job and did their part in the second half.”

Kosta Koufous puts one down in the fourth quarter. Publicity Agents photo art by T. Ray Harvey. Jan. 10, 2017.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 21 points, five rebounds, and two assists for the Pistons (18-22, 8-13 on the road). Reggie Jackson had 19 points and three assists while Tobias Harris finished with 18 points, three rebounds, and two assists. Andre Drummond had nine points, 12 rebounds, and seven blocked shots for Detroit.

“We just didn’t play up to what we needed to to seal the game,” Harris said. “The game is a game of runs and we never really responded to their runs. We got an 18-point lead, we were feeling good, but they came back out and kept pressuring us with a lot of energy. It's something to learn from but at the same time it's disappointing.”

The Pistons’ ball movement and ability not to commit turnovers were too much for the Kings to handle in the first half. On the Pistons way to a 56-43 halftime lead they made 20-of-41 shots from the field at 48.8 percent and made 7-of-13 shots from beyond the arc.

While the Kings turned the ball over 11 times in the first half, Detroit, certainly no problems with trust issues, had only four miscues handling the ball before the start of the second half.

Harris’ trey at the 6:53 mark of the third quarter gave the Pistons a 70-52 lead. By the time the fourth quarter started, Detroit was holding on to a 77-68 margin. By then, the Kings figured it out. The Pistons like to play too much isolation ball on offense.

The Kings battled back to tie the game 92-92. Garrett Temple made a 3-point shot to break the ice and Cousins made a trey with 56 seconds left to play, after missing two free throws, to give the Kings a 98-94. The Piston never made another basket.

The Pistons started out the season 1-8 on the road but has went 8-5 since, making it two straight with the 125-124 victory on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 8.

“They took 13 more free throws, they outrebounded us by 11, we gave them 13 threes and our ball movement was just ridiculous in the second half,” Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said. “We wouldn’t pass. We're playing everything 1 on 1 and wouldn't pass the ball. That's why we ended up where we are.”

By T. Ray Harvey | PA Public Information Officer and Photographic Artist

Publicity Agents’ PRESS INFORMATION:

After beating the Detroit Pistons on Jan. 10, DeMarcus Cousins finally responded to reports about working out a contract extension with the Sacramento Kings this summer, reportedly around $200 million.

Cousins has one more season to complete a four-year, $60 million contract on his current deal. In his seventh year with the team that drafted him out of Kentucky, the numbers are there for his game. The figures could also be higher.

When asked about the contract discussion, Cousins said, “We’ll talk when it’s time to talk.”

Cousins has always said he wanted to remain in Sacramento. He turned the tables around when he asked the local media, including Andy Furillo, should he stay in the only NBA city he’s played for.

Furillo, the Sacramento Bee reporter who was behind Cousins getting a team-imposed $50,000 fine for a confrontation that happened in the locker room during the holidays, told Cousins “no” he shouldn’t stay.

“Ya'll want me to be here?,” Cousins said. “Well, guess what people? I'm here.”

• For the game against the Detroit Pistons, the Sacramento Kings recalled rookie guard Malachi Richardson from Reno Bighorns due to severe weather in the Sierras, which kept him traversing east up Highway 50.

• Matt Barnes sat out the Detroit Pistons game for a scheduled rest.

• Detroit Pistons forward Jon Leuer did not play against the Kings. Coach Stan Van Gundy said prior to the game that Leuer could be out for awhile with bone spurs, possibly suffered from a car accident.

T. Ray (Antonio) Harvey is a Public Information Officer and Photographic Artist for Publicity Agents. Harvey is also the author of The HOMICIDAL HANDYMAN OF OAK PARK: MORRIS SOLOMON JR.