{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
National Basketball Association
Sacramento 91, Atlanta 88
When: 10:00 PM ET, Thursday, January 21, 2016
Where: Sleep Train Arena, Sacramento, California
Officials: #25 Tony Brothers, #3 Nick Buchert, #72 J.T. Orr
Attendance: 17019

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Sacramento Kings won their season-high fourth consecutive game Thursday night, but their hard-fought, 91-88 victory against the Atlanta Hawks only had them wanting more.

"Longest streak so far," said Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins, who had his 24th double-double of the season with 24 points and 15 rebounds. "I think we got a good, solid win tonight. Definitely not satisfied. Still got a long way to go. I just want to keep moving forward."

Kings guard Rajon Rondo recorded his fifth triple-double of the season with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. He tied Chris Webber's record for the most triple-doubles in a season in the franchise's Sacramento era.

Sacramento (19-23) ended its 15-game losing streak to Atlanta, beating the Hawks for the first time since Feb. 28, 2008. The Kings also solidified their hold on the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference.

"It feels like we're headed in the right direction, but based on how our season's been going, we can't have our guards down," Kings guard Darren Collison said. "We're playing really well. We've got a good winning streak. We've just got to keep playing well. We're not shooting for the eighth spot. We want to move up in the playoffs."

Forward Paul Millsap had his 16th double-double of the season with 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Hawks, whose three-game winning streak ended. Guard Dennis Schroder came off the bench to score 12 points, while forward Kent Bazemore and center Al Horford scored 11 apiece.

Atlanta (26-18) saw its lead in the Southeast Division over the second-place Miami Heat fall to 2 1/2 games.

Guard Ben McLemore scored 14 points for the Kings, and forward Omri Casspi had 13. Rookie center Willie Cauley-Stein added 12 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.

The Kings trailed 50-49 early in the third quarter but went on an 18-0 run to take a 67-50 lead with under five minutes left in the period. Cousins and Cauley-Stein ignited the burst with back-to-back slams, and McLemore converted a four-point play, drilling a 3-point shot, drawing a foul and making his free throw.

The Hawks, however, fought back, cutting their deficit to 72-63 entering the fourth quarter. They opened the fourth on a 10-2 run and pulled into an 80-80 tie when Bazemore hit a jumper from the left wing with 5:45 left.

"I'm proud of the fight to get back in the game," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "It's tough when you're on the road to get down 17. I think there were stretches where just they had more energy than us. They beat us to some 50-50 balls. They beat us on the boards."

Casspi answered with a 3-point shot, putting Sacramento ahead 83-80 with 5:25 remaining.

The Kings led 88-85 with 41.3 seconds left after Cauley-Stein hit a pair of clutch free throws, but Schroder nailed a 3-point shot, making it 88-88.

Rondo gave Sacramento a 90-88 lead with a driving lay-in with 12.9 seconds left, taking a handoff along the baseline from Cousins, who drew a crowd.

"I had a feeling it was going to happen," Cousins said. "I was trying to make the best decision, best play."

Millsap, under pressure from Cauley-Stein, committed a turnover with 3.3 seconds to go.

"The play broke up," Millsap said. "I was supposed to get a catch-and-drive to the basket. Hesitated a little bit. I may have lost the ball on my footing or something. I don't know. It was a funky play."

After Collison hit one of two free throws with 1.9 seconds left, the Hawks had one more chance, but the inbounds pass in Sacramento's end was off line, and they never got a shot off before the horn.

The Kings jumped to a 27-20 lead after one quarter but settled for a 47-44 edge at halftime.

Cousins had a double-double by halftime with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Rondo had six assists, five rebounds and three points, while Cauley-Stein chipped in eight points and seven rebounds before the break.

Millsap led Atlanta with eight first-half points.

NOTES: Kings starting F Rudy Gay was ruled out for Thursday's game with a left heel contusion. F Omri Casspi started in his place, his 16th start of the season. ... Kings C/F DeMarcus Cousins finished 10th among Western Conference frontcourt players in fan voting for the NBA All-Star Game starters. He was an All-Star last season for the first time. ... Hawks G Dennis Schroder is Atlanta's only double-digit scorer off the bench at 10.6 points per game, but coach Mike Budenholzer said his backups make a huge contribution on defense. "It seems like some benches are built around some unique or dynamic scorers," he said. "I think our bench has shown an ability to come in and have a big impact defensively, which we like. It fits us." ... Hawks F Paul Millsap entered the game as the NBA's only player averaging at least 18.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block per game.
Top Game Performances
 
Atlanta   Sacramento
Paul Millsap 14 Scoring DeMarcus Cousins 24
Dennis Schroder 4 Assists Rajon Rondo 11
Paul Millsap 14 Rebounds DeMarcus Cousins 16
Tim Hardaway Jr. 3 Free Throws Made Marco Belinelli 4
Paul Millsap 5 Steals Omri Casspi 5
Paul Millsap 4 Blocks DeMarcus Cousins 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Atlanta 88 41.7 8-33 10-15 21 42 9 15 19
Sacramento 91 35.9 7-24 18-24 24 56 4 13 19
Upcoming Games
  • Sacramento will play their next game at home against Indiana. The Kings have a W/L % of .421 after a win and .478 after a loss.
  • Atlanta will play their next game on the road against Phoenix. The Hawks have a W/L % of .577 after a win and .611 after a loss.