This is the kind of game that inspires more confidence from Kings coach Kenny Natt. He won't have to remind his team the Los Angles Lakers are good, real good.
This is the kind of game the Kings have been more inclined to mentally show up for this season.
"From the standpoint of the upper-echelon teams in this league, we haven't had many letdowns, so I feel more positive that we will come out ready to play and compete," Natt said Monday.
But the Kings have yet to learn whether they will have starters Spencer Hawes and Kevin Martin tonight. Hawes saw an eye specialist Monday after being poked in his left eye during Sunday's 105-100 loss to the Golden State Warriors at Arco Arena. Hawes left the game after experiencing double vision and did not practice Monday.
However, Natt said Hawes remains optimistic about tonight.
Martin has missed the past two games with a sore left ankle, which has been problematic all season.
"He's hanging in there," Natt said of Martin. "He's still having some pain. His conversation to me was that he was really positive and he feels he will be ready to go. We are just monitoring him."
The Kings are 1-2 against the Lakers this season, winning Dec. 9 at Arco, days before former head coach Reggie Theus was fired. Kings small forward Andres Nocioni said a win over the Western Conference leaders would be big, and not just for the team.
"We need to try to win some games like that, more for … the fans who are still coming to the arena," Nocioni said. "We need to play motivated to win. With six games left in the season, it's tough to get the motivation, but we need to try (tonight). It's a big game for us. I think the Lakers are the best team right now."
That should be enough motivation to get the Kings going early, which has been a problem for most of the season. The Kings have led 21 games at halftime this season, eventually winning 14 of those. When the Kings are behind or tied at halftime, they are 2-53.
Against teams with records better than .500, the Kings have notched six of their 16 wins.
"For most of the year, we have been playing to the competition," rookie power forward Jason Thompson said. "When good teams come in here is when we have the great starts. The game is usually neck-to-neck."
That would explain Sunday's lack of effort as the Kings fell to the Warriors, who because of injuries had just seven players and entered with 27 wins. Veteran Bobby Jackson said it's time the Kings stop looking at who they are playing or whether it's a packed house to turn up the intensity.
Jackson said that against the Lakers, it's not about the past. It's about beginning to take steps toward improving for next season.
"I don't think it's a rivalry anymore," Jackson said. "We know they will come in here ready to play, and we have to get focused and ready to play to match that intensity. We just have to perform well regardless of what night it is. We can't pick a night and say we want to play well. We have to bring it for 48 minutes. That's the thing we lacked all year, coming out and being consistent."
Call The Bee's Melody Gutierrez, (916) 326-5521. To get alerts and game scores sent to your phone, text KINGS to 72737.
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.