HOUSTON – With the Kings long out of the playoff hunt, it's that time of year to drag out a cliché all teams in their position live by.
The Kings nicknamed themselves "The Spoilers" for their last trip, a 4-1 swing that included victories over three teams either already qualified for the playoffs or in position to reach the postseason with a late push.
Their final stretch of road games begins tonight against Houston, which is clinging to playoff aspirations.
The trip continues Wednesday against San Antonio, which leads the Western Conference, and Friday against Memphis, which is tied for seventh in the conference.
The Kings conclude their road schedule Sunday against Golden State.
"The Spoilers" hope to make it tough on their hosts.
"Basically ruin their season," Kings rookie forward-center DeMarcus Cousins said. "If we can't play for the playoffs, why let somebody else?"
The Kings are three wins short of matching last season's 25. But unlike last season, when they staggered to the finish, they are playing as well as they have all season as the schedule winds down.
In the past nine games, the Kings have six victories, four of them on the road. They ended last season losing 11 of 12.
Their play of late has the Kings speaking a lot about how good things might be in the future.
"If you want to get someplace, you've got to knock off some of these playoff teams and you've got to knock them off on the road," Kings coach Paul Westphal said. "We're not just looking for the season to end. We want to go out there and fight these teams and hopefully hurt some of their playoff chances."
The Rockets are possibly the most desperate team the Kings will play. Houston is ninth in the Western Conference, three games behind Memphis and New Orleans for the final playoff berth, with five contests left.
Amid talk of a possible move to Anaheim, the Kings have enjoyed the fans' support at home recently, but they've played some of their best basketball on the road.
The Kings have 11 road victories, four more than last season. They have beaten the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic, two teams with championship hopes, on the road.
"We've got to keep the same mentality when we're on the road," Kings forward Francisco García said. "It's about us on the road. We don't have the fans, so we've just got to keep improving on the road."
The Kings would take ruining the night for the Rockets as a good start in that improvement.
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