SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Forward Rudy Gay scored 33 points, and forward Omri Casspi added a career-high 31 as the Sacramento Kings beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-111 on Tuesday at Sleep Train Arena.
Gay, back after missing three games with concussion symptoms after being injured March 30 in Houston, was 9-for-17 shooting and also pulled seven rebounds as Sacramento snapped a five-game losing streak despite playing without center DeMarcus Cousins. The Kings’ leading scorer and rebounder sat out with a sore right foot and is unlikely to play Wednesday at Utah.
Casspi connected on 12 of 20 shots and was 4-for-6 from 3-point range in helping Sacramento build a 19-point lead in a game between two teams entrenched in long losing spells and long since eliminated from the NBA playoff race. Casspi surpassed his previous career-best of 24, set on Jan. 5, 2010, for the Kings against Phoenix.
Forward Kevin Martin led the Timberwolves with 37 points, matching his season-best, and also added seven assists. But he couldn’t prevent Minnesota from losing its sixth consecutive contest. The Timberwolves (16-61) have lost at least 60 games for the first time since the 2010-11 season and for the ninth time in the franchise’s 26-year history.
Forward Andrew Wiggins, the favorite to take home NBA Rookie of the Year honors, finished with 24 points and six rebounds for the Timberwolves, and rookie forward Zach Lavine contributed 21 points and 11 assists.
Minnesota scored 13 straight points early in the fourth quarter to reduce a 93-74 deficit to just six points with 9:15 left. But a free throw by Kings forward Jason Thompson and short jumpers by Gay and guard Ray McCallum built the lead back to 98-88. The Timberwolves could get no closer than five points the rest of the way.
Former Minnesota forward Derrick Williams had 18 points and eight rebounds for the Kings, and McCallum added 13 points and a career-high nine rebounds. The Kings dominated underneath, outrebounding Minnesota 49-36. Sacramento also committed only five turnovers over the final three quarters after producing nine in the opening 12 minutes and falling behind 31-18.
Kings center Sim Bhullar became the first player of Indian descent to play for an NBA team, checking in for the final 16.1 seconds. Bhullar hadn’t played in either of Sacramento’s first two games since signing a 10-day contract on Friday.
NOTES: Kings C DeMarcus Cousins must play in two of Sacramento’s final five games to avoid missing more games this season than in his first four seasons combined. Cousins, Sacramento’s leader in scoring (24.1 points per game), rebounding (12.7), steals (1.53) and blocks (1.76), has played only 59 contests this season. … Minnesota coach Flip Saunders has not ruled out a return for F Kevin Garnett this season. Garnett (sore left knee) missed his 14th consecutive game Tuesday. … Kings F Carl Landry sat out while serving a one-game suspension from the NBA. Landry came off the bench during a confrontation between Kings F Derrick Williams and Utah C Rudy Gobert in the fourth quarter Sunday. … Timberwolves C Nikola Pekovic, who missed his 14th straight game, will have surgery on his right Achilles tendon Wednesday. … Cousins and F Rudy Gay, the Kings’ two leading scorers, have not been on the floor together in four straight games. Both played in only five of Sacramento’s past 14 contests.