Heat at Kings
The Sacramento Kings and Miami Heat could be without key players when they meet Friday in Sacramento. Rudy Gay, the second-leading scorer for the Kings at 20.4 points, suffered a left knee sprain in an overtime loss Tuesday against the Dallas Mavericks and is listed as day-to-day. Miami guard Dwyane Wade, the team’s leading scorer at 22.1, missed Wednesday’s loss at the Golden State Warriors with a strained hamstring, the type of injury that kept him out seven games in November.
Without their star guard, the Heat missed a chance to match their season-long winning streak at three games against the Warriors, but they can still finish their five-game road trip with a winning record with a victory against Sacramento. The road trip has hardly been a grueling one as Miami has been in California for a week after losing to the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 8 and then beating the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday and Tuesday. After starting 5-1 this season, the Kings haven’t won two in a row since November, though they gave Dallas a good game Tuesday before blowing a 10-point lead late in regulation.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Miami), CSN California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE HEAT (17-22): Hassan Whiteside might be having one of the greatest breakout months in recent NBA history. After spending much of his first 4 1/2 years in the D-League, he’s averaging 13.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in six games this month. One example of the difference he has made is the 46 percent opposing teams are shooting in the paint when he’s on the floor, versus the 57 percent they’re shooting when he’s on the bench.
ABOUT THE KINGS (16-22): DeMarcus Cousins was within an assist of a triple-double against the Mavericks when he fouled out in the final minute of regulation. He scored 27 points in both meetings against the Heat last season and grabbed 17 rebounds in the second, which the Kings won in overtime with Wade sitting out to rest his knees, ending Miami’s 19-game winning streak against Western Conference teams. Cousins is averaging 16 points overall in seven career games against the Heat, his third-lowest number against all NBA opponents.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Kings G Ben McLemore was scratched near the eye during overtime against Dallas and couldn’t continue, but he’s not listed on the team’s injury report against the Heat.
2. Kings PG Darren Collison is averaging career highs in points (16.6), assists (5.9), rebounds (3.9) and steals (1.7).
3. The Heat are 4-5 without Wade in the lineup and 13-17 with him.