Pro Sports

Gay scores 25 points, Kings rally to beat Nuggets 115-106

Posted April 02, 2016 7:00 am

The Associated Press

Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay, right, drives the lane for a basket as Denver Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, April 2, 2016, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) The Associated Press

DENVER (AP) - Rudy Gay had 25 points and nine rebounds, Seth Curry scored 17 points and the Sacramento Kings beat the Denver Nuggets 115-106 on Saturday night to sweep the three-game season series.

Darren Collison had 14 points and eight assists and Willie Cauley-Stein and Ben McLemore scored 14 points each for Sacramento, which played without DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo.

The Kings left Cousins and Rondo - their two best players - in Sacramento for the one-game trip. Cousins averaged 38 points, 14.5 rebounds and three blocks in two wins over the Nuggets this season.

Gary Harris led Denver with 19 points and Emmanuel Mudiay and Joffrey Lauvergne had 15 apiece.

The Nuggets looked like they would take advantage of Cousins' absence when they took a 95-89 lead early in the fourth, but the Kings used a 16-2 run to go up 103-97. McLemore scored eight points in a row, including two 3-pointers that gave Sacramento the lead for good.

Mudiay scored five straight points as Denver rallied to make it 110-106, but a short jumper by Kosta Koufos gave Sacramento a six-point lead with 59.5 seconds remaining.

Harris missed a 3-pointer at the other end and the Kings closed it out at the foul line.

TIP-INS

Kings: Coach George Karl said Cousins and Rondo didn't travel so he could give some younger players more playing time. "You try open up windows and minutes for guys to rotate the game easily," he said. "Instead of getting 5 to 10 minutes, maybe they will get 20 to 25 minutes. I think that makes them more comfortable and builds more confidence." ... G Marco Belinelli (sore right foot) and F Omri Casspi (strained right hamstring) did not play.

Nuggets: F Darrell Arthur sat out with sore knees. Arthur missed two games in December with left knee soreness. ... C Jusuf Nurkic returned after missing three games due to illness. He finished with nine points and nine rebounds in 17 minutes. ... F Axel Toupane scored a career-high 14 points.

UP NEXT

Kings: Host Portland on Tuesday night.

Nuggets: Host Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.

Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay, center, drives the lane for a basket between Denver Nuggets forward Will Barton, left, and Kings center Willie Cauley-Stein in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, April 2, 2016, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) The Associated Press

Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris, left, defends against Sacramento Kings guard Darren Collison as he looks to pass the ball in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, April 2, 2016, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) The Associated Press

Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay, left, battles for control of a loose ball with Denver Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, April 2, 2016, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) The Associated Press

Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris, left, tries to steal the ball as Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore drives for the basket in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, April 2, 2016, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) The Associated Press

Article Comments

Article Categories
Basketball Content Providers NBA Pro Sports Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.