Kings at Pelicans
All-Star power forward Anthony Davis is an unlikely participant when the New Orleans Pelicans host the Sacramento Kings on Monday. Davis injured an ankle during Friday’s victory over the Utah Jazz and sat out Saturday’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs as the Pelicans dropped to 3-7 when he sits out this season. Sacramento forward Rudy Gay matched his career high of 41 points against New Orleans earlier this season and scored 30 in Saturday’s loss to Dallas.
The Kings are 2-8 over their last 10 road games with the victories coming against Milwaukee and Philadelphia – the league’s worst two teams. Sacramento is 0-2 as it enters the finale of a three-game road excursion and has lost three straight overall. The Pelicans won five consecutive games before being outclassed by the Spurs. Following the game against the Kings, New Orleans enters a stretch in which five of six games will be on the road.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN California (Sacramento), FSN New Orleans
ABOUT THE KINGS (25-48): Point guard Isaiah Thomas (thigh) is in jeopardy of missing his fourth straight game and the injury has led to rookie Ray McCallum playing 43 or more minutes in each of the last three contests. McCallum played all 48 minutes in Saturday’s loss to Dallas – he had 16 points and eight assists – after playing 43 minutes on Wednesday and 46 on Friday. McCallum is averaging 13 points and six assists during the stretch and is averaging 7.9 points in March after scoring a grand total of 39 points prior to the start of the month.
ABOUT THE PELICANS (32-41): Tyreke Evans has fared well against his former team this season, averaging 23 points, 7.7 assists and 6.3 rebounds in three meetings. Evans was dealt to New Orleans in the offseason and got off to a rather pedestrian start before turning up his play significantly this month. Evans is averaging 20.8 points in March – with nine games of 20 or more – to raise his season average to 14 per game. Evans had a career-best 15 assists against Utah last Friday when he served as the point guard with Brian Roberts sidelined.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Sacramento has won two of this season’s previous three meetings, including a 114-97 victory in New Orleans on Jan. 21.
2. Kings C DeMarcus Cousins has just 11 total rebounds over the last two games after a stretch of eight straight double-doubles.
3. Pelicans SG Eric Gordon (knee) will likely miss his sixth straight game.