Lackluster follow-up to big road win

If the Kings were feeling good about themselves after an impressive road win Friday night at Utah, it didn't take long for that to end.

The New Jersey Nets made sure of that with a 111-99 win over the Kings on Saturday night at Power Balance Pavilion.

"It's very disappointing," forward Donté Greene said. "We went into a playoff atmosphere and got a win and then came home and had a letdown. Not a good feeling."

The Nets rallied from 19 points down to win at Golden State on Friday night and again trailed early Saturday – but never by double digits – before putting on an offensive clinic. After erasing a nine-point, first-quarter deficit, the Nets outscored the Kings 60-41 in the second and third quarters combined and eventually led by as many as 19 points.

"It was a rough night at the office," Kings coach Keith Smart said. "We didn't have the energy that we needed."

That was especially true in the third quarter, when New Jersey's Anthony Morrow came off the bench to score 10 of his team-high 24 points.

The Kings were outscored 32-20 in the third. They pulled within 102-95 with 3:56 left in the game but came no closer.

"Our energy in the third quarter, we kind of backed down and they jumped out on us," Tyreke Evans said. "Morrow came in and hit a lot of threes, and that's where they hurt us. They didn't look back from there."

The Nets (19-35) were without starting center Brook Lopez, backup center Shelden Williams and backup guard Jordan Farmar.

But the Nets did have their All-Star guard, Deron Williams and Morrow, who made 6 of 11 three-point attempts.

Williams had 19 points and 15 assists, matching Phoenix guard Steve Nash for the most by a Kings opponent this season.

Gerald Wallace (18 points) and Kris Humphries (14 points, 12 rebounds) also gave the Kings problems.

"(Saturday) was one of those nights where they kept us in a bind, trying to find the right group to match up with their guys," Smart said. "They're proven scorers."

Morrow, a player Smart knows from his time in Golden State, posed the biggest challenge.

"All the scouts say, 'Do not leave that guy open – that guy will make an open shot,' " Smart said. "One thing they do is find that guy."

Even Morrow was surprised by the number of open looks he had against the Kings.

"When it happens," Morrow said, "I have to take advantage of it."

Evans returned to the lineup after missing the Utah game with back spasms to score a team-high 23 points to go with five assists and four steals.

The Kings scored 50 or more points in the paint for the 10th consecutive game, with 66.

Bothered by foul trouble most of the game, DeMarcus Cousins' streak of 20-point games ended after he finished with 14 points and nine rebounds.Marcus Thornton had 13 points for the Kings (18-34).

The Kings have lost their past three home games and are 13-12 at home. The Kings had won 11 of the past 12 games in Sacramento against New Jersey.

It was the third win in a row for the Nets.

• Read more articles by Jason Jones

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