Kings' Thornton looks to do more than just score

Marcus Thornton has stolen from a teammate.

It happened Feb. 6 in New Orleans, and center DeMarcus Cousins was the victim.

Late in the Kings' comeback victory over the Hornets, Cousins needed one more rebound for back-to-back 20-point, 20-rebound games.

In the final 1:06, Thornton came up with two rebounds – and both appeared to be Cousins' to grab.

Thornton recalled the situation with a laugh after practice Wednesday.

"I wasn't really paying attention," Thornton said. "If I had known, I would have let him get it. But at that point in time, I was right there. I was trying to seal the game in the fourth quarter."

After the Hornets traded the guard to the Kings last season, Thornton quickly showed he enjoys shooting in the fourth quarter. But in his third NBA season, Thornton is out to show he's more than just a scorer, although it's still what he does best.

Thornton has scored 20 or more points in nine of his last 10 games and averaged 20.4 points in February. He's averaging a team-high 18.3 points for the season.

Listed at 6-foot-4, Thornton likes going in the paint against bigger players to score and fight for rebounds. He's averaging 3.6 rebounds, and he'd like to be above five.

"He has that knack and he has a knack for sneaking behind the defense and being able to power the ball up," Kings coach Keith Smart said. "And that's a skill that not a lot of guards his size have. … For the most part, when he's gone to the glass, he's always seemed to have gotten the basketball."

Thornton said his willingness to take chances against bigger players comes from his upbringing in Baton Rouge, La.

"I was always small," Thornton said. "My brothers would take me to the park to play against older and bigger guys, and I got knocked down on my tail sometimes, so I had to learn to go up and finish sometimes."

Scoring near the basket also has been a big part of his offense lately.

Rather than just keep shooting if his jumper isn't connecting, Thornton has gone to the basket more, which has resulted in more free throws.

Thornton averaged 4.3 free-throw attempts in February, up from 3.1 in January, when a thigh injury forced him to miss seven games.

Free throws and layups have helped keep Thornton involved offensively even when his outside shot is off. He's a streaky shooter, and the Kings like it when he starts making shots late in games as one of their go-to players.

"He can be deadly cold for 10 possessions and all of a sudden be deadly hot for the next 10," Smart said. "So I've got to always pay attention to where he's at, and maybe he's waiting for a shot to come to him and can't get it going, and I've got to make sure I call a play for him to get the ball in his hands and make a play from there."

Thornton is being asked to do more on defense, too. In last week's win at Washington, Thornton was switched to Jordan Crawford after Crawford scored 21 points in the first half. Smart praised how Thornton stuck to the scouting report and stayed within the team's defensive plan to hold Crawford to 11 points in the second half.

Thornton's defense had been criticized before last season's trade, so he's happy the coaches ask him to take on the task.

And if it's late in a game, Thornton said he will do anything needed.

"That fourth quarter, I just try to help the team do whatever it needs," Thornton said. "If that's a rebound, a steal, a charge, whatever. I'm all for it."

If that's the case, Cousins had better watch for Thornton swooping in for rebounds.

• Read more articles by Jason Jones

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