The Kings have felt pretty good about themselves lately.

They've won three of their past four games. Since the All-Star break, the Kings lead the NBA with 110 points per game.

And for a team that wins less than 40 percent of its games, the Kings' recent 5-5 mark qualifies as a decent stretch of basketball.

But one thing that's eluded the Kings for some time is success against Denver. Sacramento has lost eight in a row to the Nuggets, including the past eight in Denver, where the Kings play tonight.

Sacramento's last win in Denver was on April 5, 2008, and its last victory at home over the Nuggets was on Jan. 6, 2011. The Kings have lost by an average of 20 points in the past three meetings with the Nuggets.

As if the odds weren't already stacked against the Kings, the Nuggets are on a franchise-record 14-game winning streak.

"It's already difficult playing in Denver," said Kings center DeMarcus Cousins. "With them on their hot streak, it's even tougher. Hopefully, we can jump on them early and make it a game."

Jumping on the Nuggets isn't easy, especially in Denver. They are 31-3 at home, the best home record in the NBA. The Kings, on the other hand, are 6-29 on the road.

"I know they're going to be ready," said guard Isaiah Thomas. "They've won 14 straight, and they're definitely trying to keep their streak alive."

The sixth victory in Denver's win streak came against the Kings on March 5. The Nuggets turned a tie game at halftime into a 120-113 win at Sleep Train Arena.

And if not for the Miami Heat's 24-game winning streak, there would be more attention paid to what the Nuggets have done.

While the Kings lead the NBA in scoring since the All-Star break, the Nuggets are second at 109.1 points per game. For the season, the Nuggets are third in the league in scoring at 106 points per game entering play on Friday.

The Nuggets already have clinched a playoff berth even though they didn't have a player named to the All-Star team.

That didn't stop Thomas from calling the Nuggets a "great team." Denver has several players who have given the Kings problems.

While point guard Ty Lawson has broken the Kings down with dribble penetration, backup center JaVale McGee's athleticism has been problematic. (Lawson didn't play Thursday against Philadelphia because of a bruised right heel.)

The energy and hustle of power forward Kenneth Faried has been hard to contain, as has Danilo Gallinari's shooting.

The Kings will look to push the tempo, something the Nuggets don't mind.

"They're a team that gets out and runs," Thomas said. "We've got to stop them in transition. Whenever we play them in Denver, they always have the most transition points. So we've got to execute and try to make it a halfcourt game for them."

Follow The Bee's Jason Jones on Twitter @mr_jasonjones and read more about the team at www.sacbee.com/kings.

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