Sacramento 104 Oklahoma City 83:Kings fly through Thunder

Facing an Oklahoma City squad that had a day to think over their 117-91 loss to the Golden State Warriors, things looked bleak for the dilapidated Kings.

In the post-Michael Malone era, Sacramento had failed to keep the opposing team under 100 points in 10 games. That streak was snapped on Wednesday night with the Thunder failing to even crack the 90-point mark. The 104-83 victory marked their first double-digit win since November 22 and their largest since November 5.

After losing seven of their past 10 and coming off a 1-3 road trip, Sacramento looked rejuvenated after two days of practice. The effort and hustle was their on the court and they took advantage of Oklahoma City's off night.

Russell Westbrook had no problem jacking up 19 shots, but saw only three of them sink through the net. He was frustrated all night and it showed with seven turnovers and a (-23) mark while on the court. Though Kevin Durant wasn't much better, making just eight of his 20 shots.

While Westbrook was certainly holding back the Thunder, no one frustrated them more then DeMarcus Cousins. It wasn't even a strong night for him, he went 6-23 from the field with a technical, but he fought in the paint and made 13 trips to the free throw line in the first half.

Cousins still looks out of it when teammates don't get him involved or a call doesn't go his way, but there are plenty of more good moments than bad. He finished the night with 23 points, 15 rebounds and a (+18) mark.

Darren Collison beats the buzzer https://t.co/xF008ljNXf
— Matt Johnson (@MattJ_onNFL) January 8, 2015

The biggest star of the game was Darren Collison, who kept building his case to be a candidate for Most Improved Player. He toasted Westbrook all night, especially from beyond the arc where he scored 15 of his 24 points. Collision brought tight defense against Westbrook throughout the night.

Rudy Gay had his moments throughout the night, finishing with a game-high 28 points and 3-3 from the three-point line, contributing to the Kings great night beyond the arc (10-19). Overall, the big three of Cousins, Collison and Gay combined for 75 of the team's 104 points.

Sacramento improved to 15-20 on the season and will have a chance to be 10-10 at home with a win on Friday night versus the Denver Nuggets.

No tip for Waiters

Just two days after being pulled from the Cleveland Cavaliers starting lineup and shipped off to the Thunder, Waiters came off the bench in his debut. It was a needed change of scenery for the third-year guard, but Waiters just served up more problems.

When Waiters was called upon, he brought out the chef's special. Taking unnecessary contested shots, shooting with plenty of shot clock and disappearing on defense. He played 22 minutes and finished 1-9 from the field with four points. Waiters showed why the Cavaliers were more than happy to ship him out of town.

Clear Skies, No Thunder

It was another horrific game for Oklahoma City–shooting under 35 percent from the field and under 30 from three. If that wasn't enough to drag them down, they met the dreadful 20/20 mark of 20-plus fouls and turnovers.

https://t.co/DjzPKtII3w
— Matt Johnson (@MattJ_onNFL) January 8, 2015

Some credit can certainly go to Sacramento for playing better defense, especially putting them in position to draw charges and block shots. DeMarcus Cousins led the way with three blocks and four charges taken.

But the bigger picture is Oklahoma City just having an abysmal two-game road trip to California. They had the chance to move past .500 for the first time this season but shot 59-187 combined in their two losses to the Warriors and Kings.

We're talking about practice

It turns out two days of hitting the gym with coach Ty Corbin and re-focusing on the little things may have been just what Sacramento needed to take a step forward defensively. Corbin wanted to get back to the basics and that showed.

While you'd still like to see Sacramento cut down more on the turnovers, they won the turnover battle 16-24. Unlike in previous weeks, you saw more communication on the court and guys got in position to force stops and keep points off the scoreboard.

One unsung name in all of this is Ben McLemore who has made tremendous steps forward throughout his game, but even more so on defense. The second-year guard had four steals and was pivotal to holding Oklahoma City under 40 percent from the field. After many fans were ready to call him a bust after a disappointing rookie season, McLemore's star is on the rise.

This is Our Team!

I have been a Sacramento Kings fan since I could even remember the game of basketball. The Kings were my team and Sacramento was my home. The Sacramento Kings have long been the love of so many sports fans in Northern California, and now George and Gavin Maloof want to rip that away from us.

C-Webb was my childhood idol

Before I dive into the inevitable move, let me just talk about what this team has meant to me. I still remember the first ever Kings game I went to. it was April 10th, 2001 against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Kings went on to win that game in overtime 116-109 and I became even more attached to my local team. One year later it was the Western Conference Finals against the hated Los Angeles Lakers. A rivalry for the ages with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line. Entering Game 6 I thought we had the series in hand, and as I sat anxiously in front of our television I counted down every second. Even at 8 years old just watching that game you knew something wasn't right. The foul calls always seemed to go against the Kings and it cost them in the end. I won't get into what we learned years later, but I will never forget that series for as long as I live. Even that series though doesn't come close to the day I learned the Kings traded Chris Webber. I was heartbroken the franchise I had loved for so long traded my favorite player and childhood idol. I couldn't understand how they could do that to me, and while I don't remember it I was told that I did cry about it. Now we fast forward to today, the Kings haven't made the playoffs in 6 years but I have supported them all the way.

I know I am not in the minority when it comes to my love for the Sacramento Kings. While I know there are Kings fans all across the globe, I want to focus here on the local fans. The fans who kept going to games despite the ineptitude of the front office to improve the team. Even when George and Gavin Maloof raised ticket prices as the team fell further into the standings, families continued to find ways to shell out the money and attend games. Attendance slowly declined as the future of the team grew more and more bleak. Rumors swirled that George and Gavin Maloof were ready to move the team in order to get a new stadium. Nobody was entirely sure how a stadium could be built in the financial crisis we were experiencing, especially when the owners themselves were on the brink of bankruptcy. Then the rumors turned into reality as the Maloofs began talks to move the franchise to Anaheim. The Maloofs threw salt in the wound when they had the team where classic "Royals" jerseys that many considered were going to be the new design when the team moved. When all looked lost for this team, it was the same fans who stepped up to the plate to keep their team in Sacramento.

In Sacramento we were given a choice; let the Maloofs walk out the door with our heart and soul or fight for this team until the end. Thanks to Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, local businesses and hundreds of thousands of fans we achieved the impossible. The city was able to raise enough money to put the wheels in motion for a brand new arena. The light at the end of the tunnel was there, and that light grew even brighter on February 27th, 2012 when the Maloofs reached an agreement with the city to build a new stadium. Only a few days later they came out on the floor and started waving their hands to the crowd celebrating the great news with cheering fans. Unfortunately, just a month later the Maloofs backed out of the deal saying it was too expensive and that they were lied to during negotiations. Now we stand here today, he relationship between the city and the owners is beyond repair. It is no longer if the team moves but when. The same team this city has supported since 1985 is on the verge of being ripped out of our hands. All because 2 owners living off of their inheritance have let greed take over. It doesn't matter how many billionaires offer them money to buy the team and keep them in Sacramento. The Maloofs have tied themselves to the ship and are going to go sink it, just like they have with their casino and wine company. 

In the end there will no longer be the Sacramento Kings. Sleep Train Arena will fall apart, the rafters will hang empty, and we will be forgotten by the NBA. The greatest tragedy in all of this is what can never be replaced. That spot in the heart of every Kings fan young or old, who will never forget the memories. 

THIS IS OUR TEAM!