Clippers at Kings
The Sacramento Kings are not putting up much of a fight against postseason hopefuls of late, and the Los Angeles Clippers are hoping for the same treatment when they visit on Wednesday. The Kings have dropped nine of their last 11 games while allowing an average of 111 points and are dealing with some key injuries. The Clippers are enduring the second night of a back-to-back after squeezing out a 99-92 win over Charlotte on Tuesday.
The Kings spent their Tuesday practice trying to correct some of the issues on defense as the team adjusts to new coach George Karl’s system. “I would say our ball pressure (needs to improve),” Karl told reporters. “We are allowing the ball to find the open man too easily. We are not controlling the ball in pick-and-roll situations (and we) are always in a help-and-recovery type of defense.” The Clippers are one of the better team in the league at running the pick and roll with Chris Paul setting up the offense and Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan diving to the rim.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), CSN California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (43-25): Los Angeles led by 22 points early in the third quarter on Tuesday and looked like it would be able to give the starters some rest in the fourth quarter before the defense started to spring leaks. The Clippers failed to record a field goal in the final 4:53 of the game and settled for off-balance 3-point attempts while trying to put the game away in the final minutes instead of working the ball inside to Griffin, who took another step forward in his return from elbow surgery. Griffin played his second game back against the Hornets and went for 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 11 rebounds as Los Angeles moved into a tie for fifth in the Western Conference.
ABOUT THE KINGS (22-44): DeMarcus Cousins is fighting through a series of nagging injuries but continues to put up big numbers and posted his 41st double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds in a loss to Atlanta on Monday. Cousins is drawing even more attention from defenses than usual with Rudy Gay (knee) out the last two games, and Gay is considered questionable to return against the Clippers. Omri Casspi has gotten the start in Gay’s spot in the last two games and scored 16 points against the Hawks after being held to two points on 1-of-2 shooting in a loss at Washington on Saturday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Kings took the first meeting this season but the Clippers have won the last two by an average of 18 points.
2. Sacramento G Ben McLemore is 1-of-10 from 3-point range in the last three games.
3. Los Angeles F Matt Barnes (hamstring) sat out Tuesday and is questionable.