Kings at Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs will try to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season when they host the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge combined for 43 points but their fellow starters had a total of 10 in the Spurs' 104-96 loss at Memphis on Saturday, giving the squad its third two-game slide of the season.
Despite the relative slump, San Antonio can now look forward to a stretch in which it plays eight of 10 at home, including one game with Western Conference-leading Golden State, which is 2 1/2 games ahead of the Spurs. In addition, San Antonio has defeated Sacramento nine straight times, including a 114-104 win at home March 8, when the Spurs rested Leonard and Aldridge. The Kings had their first two-game winning streak since before the All-Star break snapped with Saturday's 110-94 loss at Oklahoma City. Their starters shot a combined 14-for-45 from the floor as Sacramento fell to 13-21 on the road.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN California (Sacramento), FSN Southwest (San Antonio)
ABOUT THE KINGS (27-42): Sacramento dressed just 11 players Saturday, giving Arron Afflalo and Ben McLemore the game off for personal reasons and sitting Tyreke Evans because of an ankle issue. Georgios Papagiannis led the team with a career-high 14 points in 22 minutes off the bench, and the 19-year-old rookie also had a personal-best 11 rebounds for his first career double-double. Evans scored 26 points and Papagiannis did not play in the loss at San Antonio earlier this month.
ABOUT THE SPURS (52-16): Point guard Tony Parker (back) returned from a four-game absence Saturday night but was limited to four points on 2-of-8 shooting. Since he was rested twice in a three-game span, Leonard is averaging 29 points and seven rebounds in three contests and he enters this one with a streak of five consecutive home games with at least 30 points. Manu Ginobili led five players in double figures with 19 points in the earlier win over the Kings, as San Antonio hit 14-of-29 3-pointers.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Aldridge is averaging 20 points and eight boards in two games since returning from a heart arrhythmia that kept him out for the previous two.
2. Kings PF Skal Labissiere has 45 points in 48 minutes over the last two outings.
3. San Antonio has won eight meetings in a row at home.