Jazz at Kings
THE STORY: The Utah Jazz were eliminated from the Western Conference playoff race on Friday and begin playing out the string of a disappointing season when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. The last time the Jazz missed the playoffs was the 2005-06 season. Utah has lost seven straight games and is just 9-27 since starting the season with a 27-13 record. Things fell apart in the second half of the season, a span that included the retirement of longtime coach Jerry Sloan and the trading of All-Star guard Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets. The Kings are playing what might be their third-to-last home game in Sacramento with a potential move to Anaheim looking extremely likely.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, FSUT, CSCA.
ABOUT THE KINGS (21-54): Sacramento has lost back-to-back games with both losses coming to the Denver Nuggets. The Kings lost 104-90 in Denver on Wednesday and 99-90 at home on Friday. Francisco Garcia scored a team-high 17 points in Friday’s loss. Marcus Thornton had just 11 points on 4-of-14 shooting for his worst performance since scoring seven points against Philadelphia on March 18. Thornton had averaged 24.7 points over the previous seven games, and is averaging 21.8 points in 20 games since the Kings acquired him from the New Orleans Hornets for forward Carl Landry. Sacramento is just 10-28 at home.
ABOUT THE JAZZ (36-40): Utah will be shorthanded against the Kings as forward Andrei Kirilenko (knee) and guards Raja Bell (foot) and Ronnie Price (calf) didn’t travel for the two-game road trip that includes a Tuesday contest against the Los Angeles Lakers. Point guard Devin Harris has missed five straight games with a hamstring injury and is questionable for Sunday’s contest. C.J. Miles scored 24 points in Utah’s 96-85 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Al Jefferson had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Paul Millsap scored 16 points. Utah is just 5-17 since Ty Corbin replaced Sloan as coach. The seven-game losing skid is Utah’s longest of the season. The Jazz lost six straight games in January.
WHO'S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Miles is averaging 19 points over the last three games. Kings guard Tyreke Evans is averaging 15.3 points, six rebounds and 6.3 assists over the last three games. Utah forward Derrick Favors is averaging just 5.8 points over the past four contests. Sacramento forward DeMarcus Cousins is averaging just 10.5 points, six rebounds and shooting 32 percent over the last three contests.
KEY STATISTIC: Utah is 13-3 when C.J. Miles scored 20 or more points. The third loss occurred Friday when Miles had 24 points against the Lakers.
SEASON SERIES: Utah is 3-0 against the Kings, including a 107-104 victory in Sacramento on Feb. 7. The Jazz recorded two home victories – 94-83 on Nov. 22 and 109-102 in overtime on March 5.
KEY INJURIES: UTAH: G Devin Harris (hamstring); F Andrei Kirilenko (knee); G Raja Bell (foot); G Ronnie Price (calf); C Mehmet Okur (back). SACRAMENTO: C DeMarcus Cousins (face); C Hassan Whiteside (knee); G Marquis Daniels (neck).
LAST WORD: “It’s tough, that’s the goal. That’s the first goal of the season – to make the playoffs. Then you start talking about how high you want the seed. But the first goal is to make the playoffs, especially being on a team that’s made the playoffs the last four years. It’s been a tough up and down season, especially the second half.” – Utah guard C.J. Miles after the Jazz were eliminated from playoff contention on Friday.