Kings at Pistons
THE STORY: The Sacramento Kings face the host Detroit Pistons for the first of two regular-season meetings Friday. The Pistons swept both contests last season and have won three straight over the Kings. Sacramento enters on a three-game losing streak after winning four of its previous five games. The Kings are in the midst of playing six road games over a nine-day span leading into the All-Star break. They have the most road losses in the Western Conference with 14.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Comcast (Sacramento), FSN (Detroit).
ABOUT THE KINGS (10-19): Rumors that the club may be relocating to Seattle are providing plenty of distractions off the court for the Kings. The city of Sacramento is looking for the Kings and NBA to contribute $85 million to a new arena, with a $60 million upfront cash payment to cover a 30-year lease, according to a report from the Sacramento Bee. The team owners, the Maloof family, already owe approximately $170 million to the city and the NBA’s credit facility.
ABOUT THE PISTONS (9-22): Detroit knocked off the Celtics 98-88 in Boston on Wednesday night thanks in part to a new strategy from head coach Lawrence Frank. Rodney Stuckey and Ben Gordon thrived under a three-guard system. Stuckey dropped 25 points and Gordon drained some clutch 3-pointers down the stretch to seal the victory on Wednesday. “It gives us a little different look, especially when (Ben's) running the team,” Frank said. “If something works, I'll stay with it. Heck, I'll play five bigs if I have to. We're not 28-2. I'll continue to experiment.”
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Sacramento is 5-1 when leading after three quarters.
2. Kings G Marcus Thornton has scored 20 or more points in five of the last seven games.
3. Pistons C Greg Monroe ranks second in the NBA in total offensive rebounds with 119. He’s one of only five players averaging 3.8 or more offensive rebounds per game.