San Antonio Spurs vs. Sacramento Kings: Takeaways and Star Performer

The San Antonio Spurs (5-2) took on an injury riddled Sacramento Kings (1-7) team on Monday night. San Antonio took care of business on the road, as they won 106-88.

It appeared the Kings were going to battle to the final seconds, as they were down 72-69 through three quarters. The Spurs decided to settle things before, as they outscored the Kings 34-19 in the final period. Kawhi Leonard led the Spurs with 24 points on 10-for-13 shooting.

Takeaways

–Kawhi Leonard Terrific on Both Ends

As I mentioned before, Leonard led all scorers with 24 points. Leonard wasn’t only good on offense, he locked down on defense. Rudy Gay finished with 10 points on 5-of-15 shooting. It was evident that Gay was bothered by Leonard’s defense.

–Spurs Contain DeMarcus Cousins 

The San Antonio Spurs did a terrific job in containing DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins returned to game action for the first time since Halloween, as he was out with an achilles injury. Cousins finished the game 5-of-20 going for 21 points and 12 rebounds. The 25-year-old came into the game averaging 22 points and 11 rebounds.

–Terrific Balance

The Spurs had four players in the starting lineup that finished with double digits points. LaMarcus Aldridge went for 16 points and nine rebounds. Tony Parker added 13 points, while Tim Duncan finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds in 23 minutes.

Star Performer

You can go either way with star performer for the Spurs. Both Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard played terrific. Both players produced offensively, and most importantly shut down key players Cousins and Gay. Duncan got a double-double playing in half the game. Leonard got two steals and two blocks to go along with his terrific offensive display.

Up next for the Spurs is a road game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.

Next: Popovich Believes Leonard Can Be Dominate on Both Ends