NEW ORLEANS (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins had 28 points and 19 rebounds, and the Sacramento Kings erased an 18-point deficit en route to a 100-92 victory over the slumping New Orleans Hornets on Monday night.
Tyreke Evans scored 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, when Sacramento took its first lead on Marcus Thornton’s free throw with 6:24 left. Isaiah Thomas scored 17, including a 31-footer with 2:15 to go that gave the Kings a 94-88 lead. Thornton added 12 points.
Greivis Vasquez tied a season high with 20 points and Marco Belinelli scored 18 points for New Orleans, which has lost six straight. Emeka Okafor scored a season-high 19 points and Chris Kaman added 10 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in his return from a weeklong absence while the Hornets tried to trade him.
Cousins scored 12 of his points in the third quarter as the Kings trimmed its deficit from 13 at the half down to five at 72-67.
Belinelli responded with a jumper and Vasquez went baseline-to-baseline at the horn to give the Hornets a 78-69 lead heading into the final period, but it was not nearly enough.
Cousins’ driving reverse layup as he was fouled by Kaman ignited a 12-2 run to open the fourth quarter. Evans followed Cousins three-point play with nine straight points of his own — all on drives to the hoop, once as he was fouled.
New Orleans was able to tie it at 86 on Trevor Ariza’s fast-break layup, but Thornton, who had struggled most of the game and finished 3 of 12 shooting, came back with a 3 to give Sacramento the lead for good.
Sacramento finished shooting 47 percent (37 of 78), while New Orleans shot 42 percent (34 of 81) after making only 26 percent (6 of 23) during the fourth quarter.
The Hornets hit 11 of 22 shots in the first quarter and had an early 14-point lead when Belinelli hit his second 3 on a kickout from Kaman to make it 27-13. The play gave Belinelli 10 points as he joined Okafor (11 points) as a double-digit scorer in the opening period.
The Kings cut their deficit to six points with a 12-4 run capped by Jimmer Fredette’s 3, but the Hornets pulled away again.
Reserve guard Xavier Henry, playing in only his fifth game this season, doubled his previous season high in scoring with eight straight points, including a floater in the lane as he was fouled and a fast-break layup that he initiated with a steal. Vasquez finished off an 11-0 run with a turnaround from the baseline as he was fouled, making it 43-27.
New Orleans’ lead got as large as 52-34 before the Kings trimmed it down to 52-39 on Cousins’ layup that narrowly beat the halftime horn.
 
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