Kings at Pelicans
Anthony Davis looks to continue his scorching start to the season when the New Orleans Pelicans host the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday. Davis poured in a career-high 43 points and was virtually unstoppable in the 106-94 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday. Davis scored 28 points in the 106-100 win over the Kings on Nov. 18 and now hopes to help the Pelicans snap a two-game home losing skid to Sacramento, which has won the last two meetings at the Smoothie King Center by an average of 11 points.
The Kings ended their three-game road losing streak by overcoming a sluggish first half to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 113-101. "I was not happy with the way we played at all," coach Michael Malone told reporters." I didn't think we came ready to play." Sacramento has won three out of its last four contests - including an impressive 103-88 triumph over the Chicago Bulls on Nov. 20 - but faces a tough four-game stretch against Southwest Division opponents that will serve as a good barometer for Malone's young team.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN California (Sacramento), FSN New Orleans
ABOUT THE KINGS (8-5): DeMarcus Cousins led the rally against the Timberwolves, finishing with 31 points on 11-of-15 shooting to go along with 18 rebounds. Cousins was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for games played between Nov. 17 to Nov. 23 after averaging 25.7 points and 16.3 rebounds. Cousins is dealing with a nagging hip injury while Rudy Gay has some tendinitis in his Achilles, but both players are expected to be in the starting lineup on Tuesday.
ABOUT THE PELICANS (7-5): Davis is the second leading scorer in the NBA with 26.3 points per game and has finished in double figures in every outing this term while recording eight double-doubles in the process. Eric Gordon is sidelined indefinitely with a shoulder injury after recent tests revealed he tore his labrum against the Jazz. Omer Asik has missed the last four games with a bothersome back injury and is questionable for Tuesday's contest.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Pelicans are 4-1 at home while the Kings are 4-3 on the road.
2. Cousins is second in the NBA with 10 double-doubles while Davis is fourth with eight.
3. Sacramento has dished out 50 assists in the last two games.