Kings at Lakers
Many fans of the Los Angeles Lakers are probably lamenting the team's current surge, which could continue Friday night when they host the Sacramento Kings. The Lakers have won two straight for the first time in nearly three months and have a shot at their first three-game run since the beginning of November, which might severely hurt their upcoming draft position.
Wednesday's 102-95 victory at San Antonio - coupled with a loss by the Phoenix Suns - allowed Los Angeles to leap past the Suns, giving the squad the third-worst record in the NBA. The Lakers lose their first-round pick in the upcoming draft if it falls outside the top three spots, and they get a potentially soft schedule the rest of the way. A three-game homestand begins with the visit from the Kings followed by non-playoff teams Minnesota and New Orleans, and then Los Angeles finishes the regular season at Golden State, which already clinched first place in the conference and may not have much to play for. Sacramento also won two straight and four of its last six after a 98-87 victory over Dallas at home on Tuesday.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, CSN California (Sacramento), Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE KINGS (31-47): Ben McLemore scored 22 points while making all five of his 3-point attempts in the win over the Mavericks. He was one of just eight Sacramento players to appear in the contest, as guards Ty Lawson and Darren Collison were rested along with center Kosta Koufos. Guard Arron Afflalo (back) and forward Anthony Tolliver (hip) also missed the contest for Sacramento, which received 12 points and 16 rebounds from Willie Cauley-Stein.
ABOUT THE LAKERS (23-55): Tyler Ennis made the most of his first start in the visit to San Antonio with a career-high 19 points, filling in well for the injured D'Angelo Russell (knee). "I think for me, in my situation so far, coach (Luke Walton) is making me feel more comfortable than I've been," Ennis told reporters. "My teammates have believed in me. That's the main thing for me, is being able to be comfortable out there." Rookie forward Brandon Ingram sat out the second half with knee pain and is considered questionable for this one.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Kings are 23-for-41 from 3-point range over the last two games.
2. Ennis averages 3.8 points but scored at least 11 in five of his last six contests.
3. Cauley-Stein recorded three straight double-doubles while shooting 55.2 percent from the floor.