Kings upset LeBron, slumping Cavs 116-112 in overtime
Arron Afflalo dropped a 3-pointer with 17.3 seconds left in overtime as the Sacramento Kings rallied for 116-112 win Wednesday night over the slumping Cleveland Cavaliers, who lost for the sixth time in eight games and are dealing with a major distraction after James challenged the team’s commitment to winning and demanded roster changes.
Following the latest troubling loss, James quickly dressed and answered a handful of questions before heading home.
“We gotta get better,” he said. “That’s all.”
James recorded his second straight triple-double, finishing with 24 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. Kevin Love had 21 points and 16 rebounds and Kyrie Irving scored 20, but it wasn’t enough as the Cavs didn’t play with poise down the stretch and missed 17 of 34 free throws.
DeMarcus Cousins had 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Kings, who trailed by five with 2:30 in overtime before battling back. Darren Collison added 23 points for Sacramento, which also trailed by 10 in the fourth quarter.
After Afflalo’s 3, James missed a deep 3-point attempt for the Cavs, who were then forced to foul Cousins. Sacramento’s big man made one of two to put it away.
Sacramento had lost eight of 10 coming in and is on an eight-game road trip. The Kings have won back-to-back games for the first time since winning four in a row in December.
“This is our first complete full game of the season,” Cousins said. “Anybody who stepped on the floor played some type of part in this win. We battled. We took some hits, but we came back on our own. ”
Kings: Continue their eight-game road trip Friday at Indiana.
Cavaliers: Host Brooklyn on Friday before welcoming Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.
