Looks like the Kings find a way to win their first game at the Golden 1 Center in the most dramatic way possible.
On Saturday night, the Kings showed their resilience and their determination to win when they came back from being behind by 18 points to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 106-103 in the second game at the Golden 1 Center.
Kings head Dave Joerger said of this win, "We just keep battling and battling. The crowd got into it as we came back and made some big plays and got some big loose balls at the end."
This was the first contest this season that the Kings had been trailing after the opening quarter, as Minnesota scored on 67 percent from the field, while Andrew Wiggins had 13 points in that first quarter alone, showing the promise and the youthfulness that he has on this team.
But the Kings wanted to show the Golden 1 Center crowd they're not to be messed with. They hit 11-of-21 from the field in the next frame, but the Timberwolves managed to hang on to an 11-point lead by halftime.
The Kings' defense ultimately came through, too, as the Kings defense held Minnesota to just 3-of-12 in the third, while DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay had 20 of the 31 points for the Kings in that quarter, while holding the Wolves to just 12.
Minnesota and the Kings battled neck-and-neck in the final minutes of the contest, which seemed like forever, watching all the flopping and the fouls that were taken by both sides, but it was clutch shots by both Rudy Gay and Ty Lawson that helped the Kings win their second game of the season and their second game at the Golden 1 Center.
Cousins finished with 29 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, while Rudy Gay helped out with 28 points, five rebounds, and two assists. Ben McLemore scored a game-high nine points and was one of the main driving forces behind the win, and hometown hero Matt Barnes chipped in with 12 points, nine assists, and five rebounds.
This was a big win for the Kings for two reasons, one is that they came back from 18 down to win and it marks the first time in 112 games for this team that they secured a comeback wen trailing by that many points. Second, it shows the power and determination when players work together. It wasn't all about Cousins on this night, it was about a team effort. Rudy Gay, Ben McLemore, and Matt Barnes were all key contributors in this victory, and that's what Sacramento needs to rely on: teamwork, effort, and contributing to the success of this team. And I'm glad to see that all of them made huge contributions that allowed the Kings to come back from this deficit and win.
Well, it's been a great two home games for the Kings. Now they head out on the road trip for a five-game trip that begins on Halloween night in Atlanta. Now that the Kings have had their success at home so far, can they take what they learned in Saturday's game and keep building on it? We'll find out on this road trip.
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