Looking to bounce back from a disappointing showing in Charlotte on Thursday evening, the Sacramento Kings visit Little Caesars Arena and the Detroit Pistons in the second game of their road trip.
The Kings led big early against the Hornets, but fell apart in the second quarter.
Buddy Hield scored 24 points, but for one of the few times this season, the Kings weren't very competitive. Seven players scored in double-figures for Charlotte, including a team-high 23 for Kemba Walker as the Hornets came away with a 114-95 victory.
After dropping four straight, including a loss to the Kings at Golden 1 Center on Jan. 10, the Pistons have won three out of their last four. In their victory over the Miami Heat on Friday evening, Blake Griffin poured in 32 points and Luke Kennard added 22 off Detroit's bench.
The last time these two teams faced off, Griffin stayed behind in Los Angeles to rest. This time, All-Star Andre Drummond will sit out after sustaining a concussion in the team's win over the Miami Heat on Friday night.
Kings Pregame Live on NBC Sports California begins at 3:30 p.m., with tipoff scheduled for 4. All coverage can be seen on the MyTeams by NBC Sports app.
Sacramento continues their six-game road trip, traveling to Brooklyn to face the Nets on Monday for the first night of a back-to-back. They'll fly to Toronto following the game where they'll face the first place Raptors on Tuesday.
NBA
Line
Kings +2.5
Projected Lineups
Kings
PG De’Aaron Fox
SG Buddy Hield
SF Iman Shumpert
PF Nemanja Bjelica
C Willie Cauley-Stein
Pistons
PG Reggie Jackson
SG Bruce Brown
SF Reggie Bullocks
PF Blake Griffin
C Zaza Pachulia
Injury Report
Kings
No injuries to report.
Pistons
PF Andre Drummond (concussion) out, PG Ish Smith (abductor) questionable, C Henry Ellenson (ankle) out, PF Jon Leuer (illness) probable.
Rotation Outlook
Kings: Dave Joerger's club is coming off a poor performance in Charlotte. The Hornets found a way to muck up the Kings' offense and Sacramento responded poorly on the defensive end.
Sacramento continues to sport a roster full of healthy bodies. Joerger is focused on a 10-man rotation, using a second unit of Yogi Ferrell, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Justin Jackson, Harry Giles and Marvin Bagley.
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After a strong start to the season, veteran Nemanja Bjelica has struggled to get opportunities of late. The Serbian stretch four is a averaging 7.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and three assists in 24.6 minutes per game in the month of January. He's shooting just 39.1 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from 3-point range over the stretch.
Pistons: Without Drummond, coach Dwane Casey will likely turn to veterans Zaza Pachulia and Jon Leuer to fill the void. Neither is the physical presence of Drummond, but they can hurt the Kings in different ways.
Sacramento should expect a heavy dose of Griffin. The veteran is coming off back-to-back 30 point games and is averaging 31.3 points over his last four games.
The Pistons score 106.7 points per game, but they yield 109.2. They are 21st in pace and 29th in 3-point percentage.