(OBSERVER photo by Antonio R. Harvey)
NORTH NATOMAS — Win or lose at Sleep Train Arena, Sacramento Kings coach George Karl is good at taking questions from the media at his own pace following a game.
After the Kings (12-18) lost 98-94 to the Portland Trail Blazers on their homecourt on Dec. 27, Karl, who normally sticks around until the last inquiry, spoke only a few minutes, and then abruptly cut the session way short.
The defeated gesture was written all over Karl’s face, and of course, his voice as well. He might as well had did the ‘drop-the-mic’ move to make it clearer.
“I’m done. I frustrated,” Karl said to a surprised press corps in the media room of the facility. He immediately exited through a side door without explanation.
DeMarcus Cousins had 36 points, six rebounds, and five turnovers against the Trail Blazers, who have beaten the Kings in their last three meetings. Omri Casspi had 14 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocked shots for the Kings, who went 2-2 on their last road trip.
The Kings could have inched closer to the eight spot in the playoff picture. But the loss to Portland is a telling sign that the Kings should not be thinking about positions in the Western Conference with 52 games left in the season.
“I don’t think we’re good yet,” Casspi said. “But the good teams don’t take nights off. In a game like this we have to hit them first in our house.”
Rajon Rondo finished with nine points, 15 assists, and eight turnovers for the Kings, who ended up with 22 mishandled possessions. Karl was short on words, but he did address the turnover issues and other mishaps.
“The one thing I was scared of is that we were trying to out-shoot this team. I don’t think that’s the way to beat them,” Karl said. “On our home court, fundamentally, we gave up the turnovers and the rebound. That’s a nightmare. All most half their points, maybe more than half their points, came on transition points. And then you give them the offensive rebound.”
All-Star Damian Lillard did not play against the Kings. C.J McCollum lead the Trail Blazers (13-20) with 35 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. Seven footer Meyers Leonard came off the bench to score 16 points and grab 11 rebounds. The Illinois product also made four of seven treys for Portland.
“I was in there more at the rim,” Leonard said of getting rebounds on defense while still shooting from the perimeter on offense. “On the offensive end, (I was) spacing (and) trying my best to keep (Cousins) away from the rim. We knew that he was was their only rim protectors.”
Rudy Gay, in foul trouble most of the night, was 2-for-12 from the field and finished with seven points. However, his 14 rebounds made up for a dismal shooting night.
The Kings will face a red hot Golden State Warriors team on Dec. 28 in Oakland.
“We’ve got a game (Monday night),” Gay said. “If we win that one, this one doesn’t matter.”
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By Antonio R. Harvey
OBSERVER Staff Writer