Lakers at Kings
THE STORY: The Los Angeles Lakers will try to secure the No. 2 seed in the West when they close the regular season in what is sure to be an emotional evening Wednesday as the Sacramento Kings could be playing their final game in the state capital. The Lakers will be without injured center Andrew Bynum when they visit Power Balance Pavilion for likely the last time. Sacramento just needs a simple majority in next week’s NBA Board of Governors meetings in New York to move to Anaheim for next season.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, KCAL, CSCA
ABOUT THE LAKERS (56-25): Los Angeles snapped a five-game losing streak with a 102-93 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday. The Spurs rested almost all of their starters, but the Lakers lost a key component when Bynum stepped on the foot of DeJuan Blair and hyperextended his right knee. Bynum did not travel to Sacramento and could miss the start of the playoffs depending on an MRI Wednesday morning. “He could be out a couple games,” coach Phil Jackson said. “He had some swelling in his knee.” Lamar Odom, who had 21 of his 23 points in the second half Tuesday, will once again start for Bynum, who has missed 23 games with knee problems this season. The Lakers can secure the second seed with a victory over the Kings. If the Lakers lose and the Dallas Mavericks defeat New Orleans, the Lakers will drop to the third spot and Dallas will be second.
ABOUT THE KINGS (24-57): A victory over the two-time defending champion Lakers would make the season and be a perfect finish for a franchise likely to move again. The Kings started as the Rochester Royals in 1945, moved to Cincinnati in 1957 and split time in Kansas City and Omaha from 1972 until moving to Sacramento in 1985. The Kings’ owners, the Maloof brothers, have until Monday to file for permission to relocate, and a vote would come likely by May. “If it’s the last game in this building, we want to close it out with a win over the Lakers and if it’s something that will catapult us to next season here, we want to win it with a win over the Lakers,” coach Paul Westphal said. The Kings close the season against the Lakers for fourth time in the last five seasons and perhaps their final game in Northern California.
WHO’S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Kobe Bryant averages 26.5 points in his career against Sacramento. Sacramento’s Jason Thompson is shooting .690 (20 of 29) from the field in the last three games while averaging 15.0 points and 7.7 rebounds in that span. Beno Udrih is averaging 12.8 points and 5.0 assists in the last five games coming off the bench. Udrih has scored in double-figures in 15 of the last 16 games.
KEY STATISTIC: The Kings have made the playoffs 10 times in their 26 seasons in Sacramento, getting past the first round just four times.
SEASON SERIES: The Kings face the Lakers for the fourth and final time. The Lakers lead the season series 2-1. Last season, the Lakers swept the season series 4-0. The Lakers have won 14 of the last 17 meetings against the Kings, including eight of the last nine.
KEY INJURIES: LOS ANGELES: C Andrew Bynum (hyperextended right knee); G Steve Blake (chicken pox); F Devin Ebanks (stress fracture in leg). SACRAMENTO: G Tyreke Evans (ankle).
LAST WORD: “This was a special city when I was here. The fans were incredible. It would be sad to see them leave. It is hard for me to believe there won't be a team in Sacramento.” - Rick Adelman, who coached the Kings to the playoffs in all eight seasons he was in Sacramento.