In what could be the last NBA game played in Sacramento‘s Power Balance Pavilion, the Kings saw faced the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.
The Kings and Lakers were heated Pacific Division rivals in the early 2000’s, game and since then, the rivalry, at least for the Lakers, faded.
The Lakers remained a perennial playoff team while Sacramento had not appeared in the playoffs since 2006. In front of a sellout crowd of 17,641 these two teams would take a step back in time for perhaps one last time.
A win against the Kings would ensure them the second seed in the playoffs.
The Lakers held a 91-71 with 9:44 left in regulation when the Kings made what could be one of the most memorable run in team history.
Led by the backcourt of Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton the Kings and went on a 27-4 run to take the lead at 97-95 with 1:22 left in the game.
It seemed like a storybook ending for the Kings after gaining a three-point advantage with less than 10 seconds left in the game, but none other than Kobe Bryant, who was part of Kings-Lakers rivalry, nailed a three-point shot to force overtime tied at 99.
The Kings too a 103-102 lead in the extra period, but seven straight missed shots would kill any chance of them claiming their 25th win of the season. The Lakers won by a score of 116-108.
This could be the last game in Sacramento. Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof have been in negotiations to move the team to Anaheim and were in New York at the time of the game.
Kings coach Paul Westphal spoke somberly about the support of the Kings fans through an uncertain future in Sacramento. The sorrow in his voice can only be shown by watching him speak.
“A lot of emotions flying around out there,” he said in his opening statement. “We felt the love of Sacramento. I was very proud of our team, I was very proud of our progress we’ve made this year. . Really sorry the season is over.”
Thornton scored a team-high 33 points for the Kings to go with six rebounds and two steals.
Samuel Dalembert, who was presented with the 2010-11 Oscar Robertson Triple-Double Award at halftime, finished with 16 points and a game-high 18 rebounds. Evans scored 8 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter to go with six rebounds seven assists.
Thornton, who was traded from the New Orleans Hornets to the Kings in February, says that he’d never felt an atmosphere with that much intensity.
“We’ve had crowds in New Orleans sold out like that,” Thornton said. “But this crowd here was intense. You can feel it. You can feel it going through your bones.
“Sorry we couldn’t give them the win, but everybody played hard. So, hats off to my teammates.”
Bryant finished with a game-high 36 points to go with nine rebounds and six assists for the Lakers and Lamar Odom had 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Although his team was gearing up for a deep playoff run, Lakers big man Pau Gasol took the time to talk about the Kings situation.
“Obviously, it was an emotional game for their franchise,” he said. “Been a lot of great basketball played in this city – in this arena, and that’s why it was an exciting game and the fans helped their team get back into the game the way they did in the fourth (quarter).”
After the game, Evans, Thornton, Westphal along with Dontè Greene, Jason Thompson and Eugene "Pooh" Jeter greeted the thousands of fans who stayed behind as part of the Here We Sit movement.
In what could be the final night in what Kings fans will always know as Arco Arena, the game will go down in Sacramento history and in the hearts of Kings fans.
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