Cavaliers at Kings
The season won't end in the playoffs for the Sacramento Kings, but it could still finish with a winning record. The Kings will continue their trek toward the team's first winning season since 2005-06 when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.
Sacramento was in contention for a playoff spot until last week and will need to win each of its four remaining games to finish with a winning record or three of four to finish at .500 after opening the two-game homestand with a 130-105 loss to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday. "I just think our energy was bad, that's all I can say," Kings guard Buddy Hield told reporters. "They're a good team, but our energy was bad, and everyone was looking like they wanted the season to be done with. We have to do a better job finishing, closing out and competing." The Cavaliers are losers of six straight and dropped the first three legs of the five-game road trip. Cleveland, which is closing in on locking up one of the three worst records in the NBA and the best shot at the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, finishes up the trip at Golden State on Friday before playing out the string at home.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cleveland), NBCS California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (19-59): Cleveland is working on developing good habits with its young roster and coach Larry Drew is trying to get the team to finish on the road. "One thing that I have put an emphasis on with this club is learning how to play on the road," Drew told reporters after a 122-113 loss at lowly Phoenix on Monday. "When you do that, you don't put yourself into a position like we put ourselves into tonight. But I can't fault the effort. I can't fault the fact they kept playing hard, they just came up short." Rookie point guard Collin Sexton continues to trend in the right direction and scored 21 points on Monday to reach 20 for the 12th time in the last 13 games.
ABOUT THE KINGS (38-40): Sacramento capped a five-game road trip with a win at San Antonio on Sunday and could not muster the energy necessary on the defensive end in the return home on Tuesday, allowing the Rockets to knock down 26 3-pointers. "We did not come with the mental or physical attitude of playing with some force and mentally locked in enough," coach Dave Joerger told reporters. "We can't play that way. We're better than that. That's disappointing. If we had a hangover from a long trip - a bunch of games, young guys - but we cannot let go of the rope and we're not going to." The Kings will visit playoff teams Utah and Portland among the last four games in addition to hosting Cleveland and New Orleans.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Kings ruled PF Harry Giles (thigh) out for the remainder of the season.
2. Cavaliers PF Kevin Love (shoulder) sat out the last two games and is day-to-day.
3. Sacramento earned a 129-110 win at Cleveland on Dec. 7 behind 30 points and 12 assists from PG De'Aaron Fox.