Thunder at Kings
The slumping Oklahoma City Thunder are suddenly having to fend off the Los Angeles Clippers for second place in the Western Conference as they enter Tuesday’s road tussle with the Sacramento Kings. Oklahoma City is just one game ahead of the Clippers – the teams play in Los Angeles on Wednesday – after suffering back-to-back losses and falling out of the battle for the top spot. The Thunder allowed an average of 116.5 points in losing the first two of a four-game road swing.
Kevin Durant scored 25 or more points for the 41st consecutive game by contributing 38 points and 11 rebounds in Sunday’s loss to Phoenix. But the defense was again a big issue as the Suns shot 58.4 percent from the field, the second-highest percentage against Oklahoma City all season. The Thunder have defeated Sacramento nine straight times and the Kings have long been out of the playoff chase. Sacramento waged a good battle with Dallas on Sunday before falling 93-91 for its fifth loss in seven games.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN Oklahoma (Oklahoma City), CSN California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE THUNDER (55-21): Durant’s streak of consecutive outings is now the longest since Oscar Robertson did it 46 straight times in 1963-64. He passed Michael Jordan’s 40-game streak from 1986-87 on Sunday but was in no mood to discuss the feat after the squad’s subpar effort. “I don’t really care about it,” Durant told reporters. “I can’t wait until it’s over.” Durant is averaging 28.7 points on 57.4 percent shooting in three victories over the Kings this season and his league-best 32.1 mark is on pace to be the highest since Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers averaged 35.4 points during the 2005-06 campaign.
ABOUT THE KINGS (27-50): Forward Rudy Gay had one of his top-around efforts of the season with 32 points and a career best-tying eight assists in the loss to Dallas. Center DeMarcus Cousins also stood out with 28 points and 10 rebounds but the duo’s big efforts weren’t enough to notch a victory as Sacramento committed 13 turnovers that led to 21 Dallas points. “Good teams don’t beat themselves and that’s the big step that we have to take,” Sacramento coach Michael Malone said afterward. “We have to stop beating ourselves and if somebody is going to come in here and win the game, make them win it. Don’t give it to them.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Sacramento last defeated the Thunder on Feb. 9, 2012 – a 106-101 victory.
2. Kings PG Isaiah Thomas (quadriceps) has missed seven straight games and may be shut down for the rest of the season.
3. Oklahoma City has lost three straight road games and hasn’t lost four consecutive away games since the second half of the 2008-09 campaign.