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Kings conclude trip in Washington

Mar 14, 2015 - 1:48 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Washington Wizards will try to run their winning streak to three games Saturday night when the Sacramento Kings visit the Verizon Center.

The Wizards knocked off the Charlotte Hornets and a depleted Memphis Grizzlies team during this run. They wins came by an average of 23 points and Washington has won three straight as the host.

With Zach Randolph, Mike Conley and Marc Gasol sitting out for rest, the Wizards handled Memphis, 107-87.

"I think we're a team that's on the rise, and teams respect us now. And I guess they don't respect us," All-Star guard John Wall said of Memphis' decision to sit players.

Marcin Gortat had 22 points and nine rebounds in the route. Wall added 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Wizards, who have won three of their last four games on the heels of a 1-7 stretch. Paul Pierce netted 17 points.

It was the first time the Wizards won back-to-back games in over a month. Washington hadn't won consecutive contests since Feb. 7-9.

The game was tied 43-43 a little past the midway point of the second quarter, but the Wizards closed the opening half on a 17-4 run to seize control of the contest. The Wizards further extended their advantage with a 19-4 burst in the third.

Washington concludes this homestand Monday versus the Portland Trail Blazers.

This mercifully ends an eight-game road trip for the Kings, who are 2-5 on the odyssey.

On Friday, the Kings fell in south Philly, 114-107, to the 76ers.

DeMarcus Cousins had an outstanding performance in defeat, tying a season high of 39 points with a career-high 24 rebounds, also becoming the first player in the NBA this season to record a 30-point, 20-rebound game. Cousins had 22 points and 15 rebounds in the opening half, but the Kings fell for the fifth time in their last six games.

The last player in the NBA to go for as many as 39 points with 24 rebounds was Chris Webber, also playing with Sacramento, in 2001.

Rudy Gay posted 24 points in the setback and Derrick Williams added 15 off the bench.

The Kings led by as many as 18 in the third, but Philadelphia took an 88-82 lead heading into the fourth thanks to an 18-2 run over the final 4:13 of the quarter.

"The flow of the game was ours in the second quarter, the flow of the game turned midway through the third and we never got it back," Kings coach George Karl said.

The Kings have won four of the last five encounters between the teams, who meet in Sacramento in eight days. The Kings took two of the last three matchups in Washington D.C.