Kings Down Hornets, Anthony Davis Injured
Playing the second game of a road back-to-back, the New Orleans Hornets (27-52) legs looked tired. It showed on the defensive end, as the Sacramento Kings (28-50) slashed the Hornets in the lane on their way to a 121-110 win.
New Orleans point guard Greivis Vasquez played through an ankle injury, and it hurt his team. With no lateral movement, Sacramento guards Isiah Thomas and Marcus Thornton drove past him all night. Vasquez finished with only 4 points and 2 assists in 25 minutes of play. His +/- stat was -20. He simply couldn't manage tempo, but his backup Brian Roberts did, scoring 20 points off the bench.
"They just drove it down our throats tonight," said coach Monty Williams. "I felt bad for Greivis. His ankles are hurting a little bit. He said he wanted to play but I probably should've been his brains tonight and sat him out."
Hornets rookie Anthony Davis finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds on his way to another double-double (his 21rst of the season), but injured his knee in the fourth quarter. Kings guard Marcus Thornton landed on his knee on a drive to the hoop. Initial diagnoses from team doctors is a sprained left knee. Davis gingerly walked off the court on his own, and will have an MRI in New Orleans Thursday morning.
New Orleans guard Eric Gordon played on the back end of a back-to-back for the first time in a year due to lingering knee issues. He scored a team-high 23 points, while dishing out 7 assists.
"Eric's fine, and this is what we planned on," explained Williams. "We knew we were gonna take a hit this season by keeping him out with a minute restriction...we plan on him having a great year next (season) because he'll be healthy."
One Hornet who stood out in Wednesday night's defeat was Center Robin Lopez. In only 22 minutes, the big man scored 20 points on 7-8 shooting. However, his turnovers also stood out, as he gave it away 5 times. In all, Sacramento turned 19 New Orleans turnovers into 25 points.
The Hornets will now return to the friendly confines of the New Orleans Arena Friday night, hosting a game for the first time since March. Tip-off versus the Los Angeles Clippers is set for 7:00.