Houston wanted this game more. You could tell it from the very beginning, and continuing on through the game. They were diving for loose balls, denying easy baskets on defense, moving the ball around well, and getting good looks for easy points.
The same could not be said for Sacramento, who nosedived after a solid (at least offensively) first half. DeMarcus Cousins had 20 points and 11 rebounds, but none of those points came in the 2nd half. It seemed like he stopped caring about fighting for position and settled for jumpers and bad shots. His defense was also bad, getting burned by guys like Chuck Hayes and Brad Miller.
Houston was much more efficient in their shot selection than Sacramento, so that while the Kings scored 1 more field goal, Houston got to the line 16 more times and hit 7 more three pointers. The Rockets also did an absolutely amazing job taking advantage of Sacramento's miscues, scoring 33 points on 16 turnovers. Conversely, the Kings only scored 17 points of Rockets turnovers.
Perhaps the worst part about being blown out by the Rockets (at home no less) was the fact that their main guys, Kevin Martin and Luis Scola, had sub-par games, combining for just 25 points. The Rockets had a very balanced attack, led by Kyle Lowry, who flirted with a triple-double with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists in just 29 minutes. Throw in 20 points for Chase Budinger and 19 for Courtney Lee to add to the carnage.
One positive can come from this game though: Great job by the people who started several "Sac-ra-men-to" chants throughout the game. Let's get even louder on Wednesday, when the Kings host Orlando.