Tyreke Evans scores 26 points, Kings beat Pacers 110-105 for 4th straight win

Tyreke Evans scores 26 points in Kings’ victory

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Tyreke Evans scored 26 points to help the Sacramento Kings win their fourth straight game, 110-105 over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.

The Kings improved to a surprising 9-8, sweeping all four games of their homestand. They are 8-2 this season at Arco Arena.

Jason Thompson had 22 points, Spencer Hawes 21, Andres Nocioni 13 points and Omri Casspi 10 for the Kings, 7 of 10 from 3-point range in the second half.

Danny Granger made six 3-pointers and scored 33 points for the Pacers, who have lost three straight. Earl Watson had 16 points, Dahntay Jones added 15 and Jeff Foster tied a career high with 18 rebounds.

Granger made a 3-pointer with 1:13 left to cut the Kings’ lead to five at 105-100.

Evans hit five free throws in the final 44 seconds to help secure the victory. Evans, who also six assists and five rebounds in 32 minutes, got off to a fast start, scoring 16 points in the first quarter. But he went to the bench with three fouls midway through the second quarter and played more cautiously the rest of the game.

The Pacers have dropped seven of eight games, including five losses of 10 or more points. Indiana has two remaining games on its four-game trip, against Utah on Friday night and the Clippers on Saturday night.

Scoreless through three quarters in limited playing time, Sergio Rodriguez made a 3-pointer and followed with a layup in a crowd, putting the Kings ahead 98-88 with 7:44 left in the game.

Nocioni’s two 3-pointers late in the third quarter helped the Kings establish an 88-81 lead heading into the fourth.

NOTES: The Kings had 11 turnovers in game’s first 14 minutes. … Indiana’s Brandon Rush, who started the season’s first 15 games at guard, was replaced by Jones and didn’t enter the game until the fourth quarter. … Evans, the Western Conference’s Rookie of the Month for November, has now scored 20 or more points in 10 games.