SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Center DeMarcus Cousins and forward Rudy Gay saved their best for last Tuesday. Their teammate, guard Isaiah Thomas, was spectacular for all four quarters and overtime.
The Sacramento Kings needed all of it to slow the Washington Wizards’ run up the Eastern Conference standings.
Gay scored 19 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, and Cousins added six of his 24 points in the extra session as Sacramento edged the Wizards 117-111 at Sleep Train Arena.
Sacramento outscored Washington 17-11 in the extra five minutes, with Gay and Cousins scoring the first 13 points and Thomas icing the contest with four consecutive free throws in the final 13 seconds.
Thomas finished with his first career triple-double: 24 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
“For us to win a game like that, coming from behind, shows our team is taking strides,” Kings coach Michael Malone said.
The Wizards (35-32) gained in the playoff race recently thanks to some impressive play since the All-Star break. Before Tuesday, Washington won 10 of 14 since the break and was 15-7 in its previous 22 away games while moving up to fifth place in the East.
However, Washington did not score after center Marcin Gortat’s layup with 54.5 seconds left in overtime, and it fell two games behind the Chicago Bulls (37-30) for the fourth seed in the East and home-court advantage in a first-round playoff series.
The Wizards were unable to protect an 81-70 lead over the final nine minutes of regulation.
Gortat and guard Bradley Beal finished with 19 points to lead Washington, and veteran forward Drew Gooden added 18 points and six rebounds. Wizards guard John Wall and forward Trevor Ariza combined to shoot 10-for-25 from the field, and Wall missed two key free throws and committed five of his team’s 15 turnovers.
The Wizards made just 20 of their 30 free throws.
Wall finished with 14 points, Ariza with 12 points and forward Trevor Booker 10.
“We gave a game away,” Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. “Even though we didn’t play well, we had put ourselves in a position to win the game at the end, and that’s a game we’ve got to win.”
The Kings (24-44) previously were eliminated from playoff contention, and Malone said his team’s goal is to generate some momentum to carry into the offseason. One part of the that, he said, is to establish Gay as a go-to player during periods when the offense struggles.
“The reality is that it’s my job to get him the ball,” Malone said. “Rudy needs to demand the ball, but I also have to get it to him. Tonight, I kept calling his number — that’s pretty simple for a coach.”
Gay made it that way. He scored nine of Sacramento’s final 14 points in regulation, and his jumper from 19 feet on the right wing in overtime put Sacramento ahead to stay, 113-111 with 37.8 seconds left.
“To have the ball in my hands when it’s winning time, that’s second nature to me,” Gay said. “It’s happened a lot in my career, and that’s the mentality I have to have.”
Cousins, who also controlled the boards in the extra session, finished with 14 rebounds. He recorded his 42nd double-double of the season.
“That’s the beauty of having a guy like DeMarcus,” Malone said.
Washington guard Bradley Beal missed a 3-pointer after Gay’s go-ahead shot, and after Gay’s rebound, Thomas hit the first two of his four consecutive free throws.
“I got lost in the game, so I wasn’t aware,” Thomas said of his triple-double. “I was just trying to make plays for my teammates and trying to get defensive stops.”
Washington grabbed its final lead at 109-107 with 1:41 left in overtime when Beal canned a 3-pointer to cap an 8-1 run. However, Gortat’s layup with 54 seconds remaining was Washington’s final field goal.
The Kings forced overtime by scoring the game’s final five points. Gay’s running right-handed floater from the right baseline tied it. Beal’s open 3-point look from 21 feet at the buzzer was short.
The Kings improved to 20-6 this season when scoring at least 105 points.
“It was a great effort from our guys, and I’m very proud of them,” Malone said. “They did a great job coming off a long road trip. We could’ve easily mailed this game in, but we came back for it and got a quality win.”
NOTES: C DeMarcus Cousins returned to the lineup after missing the Kings’ previous game with tendinitis in his right knee … The Wizards signed F Drew Gooden for the rest of the season. Gooden, 32 and in his 10th NBA season, had reached the end of the second 10-day contract he signed with Washington. He averaged 8.1 points and 14.6 minutes in his first eight games with the Wizards. … The Kings play three Eastern Conference teams (Washington, the Milwaukee Bucks and the New York Knicks) during their four-game homestand. Sacramento is 8-5 at home against the East. … Wizards F Nene missed his 12th consecutive game due to a sprained left knee ligament. Washington is 8-4 without him. … Washington’s 18 road victories are the third-most in the Eastern Conference, trailing the totals of the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat.