Kings at Spurs
THE STORY: The sliding San Antonio Spurs can’t afford to slip up against the lowly Sacramento Kings at home Wednesday with the Los Angeles Lakers breathing down their throat for the top spot in the West. The Spurs are riding a two-game win streak on the heels of a six-game slide, the longest during the Tim Duncan era, that has given the hard-charging Lakers some life.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, CSCA, FSSW
ABOUT THE SPURS (59-19): San Antonio had a 7 ½ game lead on the Lakers about three weeks ago, but that lead was whittled down to 1 ½ games. It stands at 3 ½ games now after San Antonio won two straight and Los Angeles lost two straight. After this one, San Antonio visits Utah Saturday before closing on the road against the Lakers next Tuesday and Phoenix the next night. After Los Angeles plays at Golden State on Wednesday, they visit Portland on Friday, host Oklahoma City on Sunday and close at Sacramento next Wednesday after playing the Spurs. Tony Parker had 26 points and Tim Duncan 17 as the Spurs snapped a four-game road losing streak in a 97-90 win against Atlanta on Tuesday.
ABOUT THE KINGS (23-54): With another disappointing season winding down, the players, despite urging from management, are getting distracted about the inevitable relocation of the franchise. After this one, the Kings will conclude their road season at Memphis and Golden State before returning home for the final two games that will probably be the last in Sacramento. The Kings are playing some of their best ball of the season, winning six of eight, including a 104-101 victory Tuesday that put a damper on the Houston Rockets’ playoff hopes. Marcus Thornton and Samuel Dalembert had 21 points each and DeMarcus Cousins grabbed 15 rebounds.
WHO’S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Kings guard Marcus Thornton has been a great addition since coming over from New Orleans in the Carl Landry trade. He scored 84 points coming off the bench in his first four games before joining the starting rotation. He’s reached 20-plus points in 12 of 18 starts, including 42 against Golden State. Spurs center DeJuan Blair has not reached double figures in scoring in 11 straight games or rebounds in 14 straight.
KEY STATISTIC: .398: The Spurs 3-point shooting. Only 14 teams in NBA history have shot better for a full season. Forward Matt Bonner leads the league in percentage at .463.
SEASON SERIES: The Spurs are seeking a three-game sweep against the Kings, posting a 113-100 at Sacramento on Feb. 4 and 108-103 triumph five weeks later in San Antonio. Parker was the Spurs’ leading scorer in each game, combining for 52 points, on 22-of-35 shooting, including all four 3-point attempts. He also handed out 13 assists. Tyreke Evans scored 25 points in the first game and is the only King to top 20 points in either contest.
KEY INJURIES: SACRAMENTO: G Marquis Daniels (neck). SAN ANTONIO: None.
LAST WORD: "We were a little shaky the last couple weeks. But we are still out there and we are optimistic, but yet I don't feel that we are playing our best basketball right now." – Spurs guard Manu Ginobili.