Magic at Kings
The Sacramento Kings raised their level of play against some of the league’s best teams with victories over Portland, Houston and Miami over the last two weeks. The Kings look to improve their focus against clubs with similar records to them when they host the struggling Orlando Magic on Friday night. Three of Sacramento’s last four losses have come against teams currently under .500 and Orlando, which owns the league’s second worst record, comes in with five consecutive defeats.
The Kings made a season-high 12 from 3-point range to beat the Magic 105-100 in Orlando on Dec. 21 and boast three players averaging at least 19 points. Sacramento stands 29th in the league in points allowed while yielding an average of 112.5 points over the last 10 contests. Magic center Nikola Vucevic, who is averaging a double-double, is out with a concussion and they are 0-7 when their 7-footer is not available this season.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Orlando), CSN California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE MAGIC (10-25): Orlando led Portland after three quarters before being outscored 39-19 in the final 12 minutes to lose its second on a five-game road trip. Arron Afflalo leads the team in scoring (21) while Vucevic averages a team-high 11 rebounds and the Magic need power forward Glen Davis (13.4 points) and others to step up on the boards. After averaging fewer than nine points over an eight-game stretch, rookie Victor Oladipo has scored 52 and made six 3-pointers in his last three outings combined.
ABOUT THE KINGS (11-22): DeMarcus Cousins has been virtually unstoppable in January, averaging 31.3 points and 12.7 rebounds in three contests. Cousins leads the team in scoring (23.5) and rebounding (11.5) overall while Rudy Gay (20.5) and Isaiah Thomas (19.4) are also major factors for coach Michael Malone’s high-octane offense. Forward Derrick Williams, a former second-overall pick acquired from Minnesota in November, has rebounded from a rough six-game run to average 10 points the last three.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Sacramento has scored at least 100 points in 10 straight games and 16 of its last 17 contests.
2. Orlando F Tobias Harris recorded a season-high 21 points against Sacramento last month, making 7-of-11 from the field.
3. Kings rookie G Ben McLemore is averaging only 4.3 points over the last seven games after posting 9.3 per contest in the first 26.