A shooting slump isn't enough for Kings coach Keith Smart to take John Salmons out of the starting lineup.

Entering Saturday, Salmons had missed 22 of his last 25 shots over his previous four games. In his previous 10 games, he was shooting 31.4 percent (16 for 51).

In Saturday's 120-109 victory over Utah, Salmons made 4 of 11 shots, including 3 of 8 from three-point range, and had 11 points.

Asked about Salmons' slump, Smart quickly rattled off all the good things the veteran small forward is doing, including his decision making in pick-and-roll situations and defense.

Smart said Salmons' poor shooting would not lead him to consider moving Tyreke Evans back to small forward, a move he made last season when Salmons struggled.

Smart said he would use Evans at that spot when he sees fit.

"We'll start moving in that direction a little bit, but I like some of the things John is bringing to the table," Smart said. "I know he has a calming spirit on the floor. You know what he's going to do; he won't do anything more, anything less. And sometimes you need those pros like that to be on the floor from time to time."

Recalling the retros – The Kings wore their alternate jerseys from 1996 to 1998 for the second consecutive game.

As the schedule worked out, both of those games were against the Jazz, coached by Tyrone Corbin, who played for the Kings in 1995-96.

"I thought it was great for them to bring them back," Corbin said. "I remember the days when we wore them here. They look good in them. Fortunately for us, we were able to win (Monday at Utah) with them on, but I thought they looked good."

Black History Month – The Kings will honor community members as part of Black History Month at each home game in February.

Pastor Darryl Heath of St. John Missionary Baptist Church and Nikki Whitfield, an outreach specialist with Sutter Health's Healthy Access Initiative, were honored Saturday.

Heath helps provide nutrition and health care services to youth and families in poverty.

Whitfield oversees the Healthy Access Initiative, a two-year behavioral change campaign that targets frequent emergency room users for non-emergency care.

Edward T. Lewis, the statewide outreach manager for the California Black Health Network, will be honored at today's game against Houston. He works to eliminate health disparities and improve care for people of African American descent through legislative, administrative and media advocacy.

At the Feb. 19 game against San Antonio, Shara Murphy will be recognized for her work with the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center supporting programs promoting tolerance.

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

• Read more articles by Jason Jones

Order Reprint