Kings at Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets look to rebound from a rough start to their important four-game homestand when they host the Sacramento Kings on Monday. The Nuggets suffered a damaging 112-102 loss to Charlotte on Saturday and lead Portland by just 1 ½ games for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, while the Kings are three back after losing a heartbreaker to Utah at the buzzer in overtime Sunday.
Emerging star Nikola Jokic - who has registered two triple-doubles and a pair of double-doubles over his last four games - scored 31 points Saturday, but Denver allowed Charlotte to make 16-of-27 from 3-point range. “The luxury we have is that we control our own destiny,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone told the Denver Post. “We don’t need other teams to lose for us. If we do our job, we’ll be a playoff team.” Rudy Gobert tipped in the winner as Utah handed Sacramento its fourth consecutive loss, a 110-109 defeat on Sunday in which the Kings coughed up a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter. Sacramento had celebrated the win after the basket originally was waved off for offensive goaltending, but the call was reversed after video review.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, CSN California (Sacramento), Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE KINGS (25-37): Sacramento had seven players score in double figures - including Ty Lawson, who recorded a team-high 19 points - as it shot 51.8 percent. Veteran Arron Afflalo, whom coach Dave Joerger told reporters “set the tone” Sunday, has averaged 15.5 points on 10-of-19 shooting in two games since returning from a hamstring injury. Willie Cauley-Stein recorded 15 points against Utah for his fourth double-digit scoring effort in the last six games - a span during which he has averaged 13.7.
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (28-34): While Jokic has continued to improve his overall numbers (15.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists), Danilo Gallinari is averaging 22 points over his last five games to push his team-leading mark to 17.7. Wilson Chandler is third on the team in scoring (15.7 points) and Gary Harris ranks fourth (13.8), but they combined for only six points on 1-of-9 shooting against Charlotte. Rookie guard Jamal Murray is becoming more of a consistent force off the bench, averaging 12.3 points over his last four contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Kings have won the last five meetings, with two coming this season - including a 116-100 victory on Feb. 23 in Sacramento.
2. Denver F Kenneth Faried, who is averaging 9.7 points and 7.9 rebounds, is expected to miss his fifth straight game with a back injury.
3. Kings G Buddy Hield is averaging 13 points and shooting 52.2 percent in five games since coming over from New Orleans in the DeMarcus Cousins trade.