Kings Blog and Q&A

Head coach Keith Smart talks about gauging the growth of his team and how he deploys his rookies following the Kings' practice Friday.

Kings guard Isaiah Thomas discusses trying to be a vocal presence as a rookie and his role on defense.

The Kings announced today they have recalled center Hassan Whiteside from the Reno Bighorns of the Development League.

Whiteside will be with the Kings in Sacramento for Saturday's 7 p.m. game against the Golden State Warriors.

Since being assigned to the Bighorns on Jan. 1, Whiteside has played in 11 games and averaged 7.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and three blocks in 18.9 minutes. Whiteside has yet to appear in a game for the Kings this season.

At the end of practice today, the Kings gathered around a TV set up alongside one of their practice facility courts and had a brief film session.

It's part of the strategy of head coach Keith Smart -- a big believer in using film to reinforce his critiques and teachings to players -- to combat the dangers of having an early film session in the usual dark room.

"Players sometimes come over in the morning, they just got up, you put them in a dark room and they're half asleep, and then you've got to come on the floor," Smart said.

Guard Isaiah Thomas addresses the media following the Kings' 95-92 win over the Trail Blazers.

Keith Smart is confident in Isaiah Thomas' confidence.

It's one big reason why Smart said he feels comfortable having the rookie guard on the floor. Thomas played a little over 17 minutes in the Kings' 95-92 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.

With Marcus Thornton returning to the starting lineup, Smart used a rotation of three guards against the Trail Blazers, with Thomas the lone guard coming off the bench.

John Salmons played his best all-around game of the season for the Kings Thursday night.

Salmons had season highs in points (19) and rebounds (eight) in the Kings 95-92 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

It was just the sixth time this season Salmons scored in double figures.

It's been a rough season offensively for Salmons as he's averaging just 7.6 points while a career-worst rate of 37.1 percent.

Kings coach Keith Smart has never wavered in supporting Salmons. Here's what Smart said about Salmons Thursday night:

Kings rookie Isaiah Thomas is listed at 5-foot-9. Talk about a stretch. I'm 5-foot-6, and when I talk to Thomas, we're eye to eye. All of which makes his late-game block against Portland's Wesley Matthews - listed at 6-foot-5 - all the more impressive. Matthews, who was preparing to score on an assist from Gerald Wallace on the break, was surprised by the Thomas, who chased him down, elevevated, and with his left arm extended, swatted the ball away.

A few other post-game thoughts:

• This was easily John Salmons' best game of the season. And while Salmons has struggled - even defensively - the one thing he isn't doing is over-dribbling.

• The Kings won this game with their defense. Their decision-making was terrible for much of the fourth quarter.

• DeMarcus Cousins only played 14 minutes after getting in early foul trouble, but while Keith Smart said he went with the "rhythm of the game" - and there is a lot to be said for that - the second-year center was pretty effective during his brief appearance with eight points, six rebounds and two assists. I just think Cousins needs to be on the floor.

Guard Marcus Thornton talks to reporters following the Kings' 95-92 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.

When the Kings and Trail Blazers played in Portland on Jan. 23, the Kings trailed by a score of 33-31 halfway through the second quarter. The Trail Blazers then scored 11 consecutive points, encountered little resistance and stretched the lead to 20 before halftime.

Thursday night, the Kings trailed Portland 32-30 early in the second quarter. The Trail Blazers then scored 11 consecutive points -- and the Kings responded immediately, putting together an 8-0 run of their own to keep the game from getting out of hand.

At times this season the Kings have seen a stretch of several bad minutes take on a kind of snowball effect. As forward-center Chuck Hayes said Thursday night, "Once teams usually get going on us, when it rains it pours."

Head coach Keith Smart addresses the media after the game.

Marcus Thornton scored a team-high 20 points in his first game back after missing four games with a thigh injury, John Salmons added 19 points and the Kings erased an early 13-point deficit to beat the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night, 95-92.

Tyreke Evans added 18 points and Jason Thompson had 13 points and 12 rebounds as the Kings snapped a five-game losing streak and beat the Trail Blazers for the first time in their third meeting this season.

The Trail Blazers had two chances to tie the game as the clock wound down after Gerald Wallace stole the ball from Thornton with under 10 seconds left. But Raymond Felton and Jamal Crawford's three-point attempts both clanked off the iron, and the announced crowd of 11,740 at Power Balance Pavilion breathed a collective sigh of relief.

The Kings will have Marcus Thornton back tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers, though head coach Keith Smart said he doesn't know how much Thornton will play.

"It'll be good to see where he's at," Smart said. "He hasn't had a chance to play five-on-five, conditioning up and down the floor with the team, but he's had a chance to be on the floor, play some four-on-four."

Smart did not say whether Thornton will start.

The Kings (6-15) and Trail Blazers (13-9) must be getting downright familiar with each other. They play tonight for the third time in the Kings' first 22 games.

Here are a few things to keep an eye on when the game tips off at 7 p.m. at Power Balance Pavilion, with the Kings looking to avoid their sixth consecutive loss:

1. Will Marcus Thornton return to the lineup? The Kings' guard, who has missed the last four games with a significant hematoma in his left thigh, said he hopes to play tonight -- with the approval of team doctors. Thornton is averaging 16.4 points a game. More than that, head coach Keith Smart said yesterday, the Kings have missed his veteran-type presence and "savvy" on the court, and his ability to be a creative and explosive scorer. If Thornton does play tonight, it will be interesting to see how many minutes he logs and how quickly he can shake off the rust, having not appeared in a game since Jan. 21.

2. The Kings haven't been able to contain Gerald Wallace. Wallace, the Trail Blazers forward, has had his way around the basket in the teams' first two meetings. Wallace was 17-for-23 (74 percent) from the field in those two games, averaging 22.5 points and 8 rebounds. Much of the responsibility for slowing Wallace down tonight will probably fall to Kings forward John Salmons.

PHOTO CREDIT: Forward Donte Greene looks at a screen before the team's game against the Orlando Magic on January 8, 2012 at Power Balance Pavilion. Hector Amezcua. Sacramento Bee.

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Kings forward John Salmons talks about where the Kings must improve from their first two losses to the Portland Trail Blazers and other topics following Wednesday's practice.

Guard Tyreke Evans discusses taking on a leadership role.

Kings head coach Keith Smart addresses the media following Wednesday's practice.

The Kings play the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday for already the third time this season, having lost their first two meetings by double-digit margins.

This time, forward John Salmons said, when push comes to shove, the Kings need to do both.

"We've got to match their physical presence," Salmons said. "The first two games they were very physical with us, so we have to match that play."

Guard Marcus Thornton (left thigh hematoma) said he wants to play Thursday against the Portland Trail Blazers, but that the decision will be up to team doctors.

Thornton has missed the Kings' last four games. The team announced on Jan. 25 that tests had revealed a significant hematoma in his left thigh, and that Thornton would miss one to two weeks.

Thornton participated full-contact during the window of today's practice that was open to media -- a high-energy half-court scrimmage -- and appeared to be moving without much hesitation. Afterward, he said he "felt good out there for the most part."

PHOTO CREDIT: Sacramento Kings' Tyreke Evans falls to the floor in pain during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday in Oakland, Calif. Ben Margot, Associated Press.

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OAKLAND - Isaiah Thomas is becoming the Kings go-to guy in the fourth quarter.

Thomas has 24 points in his last two games. All of his points have come in the fourth quarter and nearly led to wins for the Kings.

Thomas ran the offense in the Kings win at Toronto on Jan. 11 and played a big role in the Kings' comeback against Indiana on Jan. 18

Thomas has looked like one of the Kings better decision makers late in games, knowing when to look for his shot and when to set up others.

"I'm building confidence each and every game," Thomas said. "Whatever it is the team needs me to do - make shots, make plays for others, that's what I'm going to try and do. That's what I've been doing and I've been shooting the ball pretty well the last couple of games, but we still haven't won. I'm a winner and I don't like anything about losing."

OAKLAND - Ok, this was a strange one: the Kings dominated most of the statistical categories tonight in their loss to the Golden State Warriors, except one: turnovers (21 to 8). That will definitely get you beat.

Here are a few other late-night thoughts:

• Despite the disappointing record, the Kings have two easily identifiable pieces around whom to build - Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins. You can't say the same when you look at the Warriors. They have to be worried about Stephen Curry's recurring ankle problems; he just isn't right. Monta Ellis is an undersized shooting guard, and he wasn't thrilled about being on the bench during the Warriors comeback. David Lee? Very productive, but do you want that contract?

• Evans remains an immense talent, an intense competitor, and someone who is truly receptive to coaching and direction. Is he a point guard? Absolutely not. But he is a unique and powerful player, at times a dominating player, and he clearly is responding to Smart's insistence that he pass ahead, play faster, move without the ball, and cease with the one-on-one dribbling displays. And, yes, I continue to believe he can (and should) be a lockdown defender.

• Cousins is maturing almost by the minute. He played 36 minutes, scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, and engaged in a calm, thoughtful conversation with the refs after he was called for a turnover on the baseline. His conditioning continues to improve, which is a crucial factor as he moves along in his career. Additionally, while he scored on some patient, crafty moves down low, we are seeing him positioned more often at the elbows, where he can face the basket, square up for his feathery jumper or make a one or two-step dribble to the rim.

• Geoff Petrie's immediate challenge: Finding players with complementary skill sets to Evans and Cousins. He still needs a floor leader and that small forward who can hit the deep jumper (a la Brandon Rush of the Warriors) and open the inside for Cousins. The lack of dynamic on-court leadership was apparent once again during this latest meltdown.

• Jason Thompson quietly is re-emerging as a factor, doing what he should be doing: rebounding, running the floor, providing energy, understanding his role.

• Jimmer Fredette is suffering from the rookie blues. He is passing up open shots, trying to penetrate against multiple defenders, and making the game much too hard. He is probably the Kings' best outside shooter. Take the open shot to stretch the floor, and when you aren't open, move without the ball. Of course, he would benefit immensely from the presence of a few more ball movers. Bad habits are contagious. Hope he doesn't go there.

• The diminutive Isaiah Thomas has the potential to be a more consistent version of Nate Robinson.

• How about guarding the corner three's? Rush converted four of his five attempts. That's what he does.

OAKLAND - Before tonight's game against the Golden State Warriors, Kings rookie Isaiah Thomas asked about Grant High football star Shaq Thompson, who earlier in the day tweeted his plans to accept a scholarship to the University of Washington. "I've never seen him play," said Thomas, "but I keep hearing about him. And any time someone like that (top recruit) becomes a Husky, I'm happy about it."

FINAL
Warriors 93, Kings 90

OAKLAND - The Kings were done in by the Warriors bench, which played almost the entire fourth quarter and built a 12-point lead before holding on late to give the Warriors the win.

It was the fifth consecutive loss for the Kings (6-15), who for the second game in a row, lost by three points on the road.

Brandon Rush came off the bench to lead the Warriors (7-12) with 20 points. Rush scored 15 of the Warriors' 26 fourth-quarter points. Stephen Curry made a free throw for the only point for the Warriors that didn't come from a reserve in the quarter.

The Kings trailed 91-90 with 2.8 seconds to play, but Rush made two free throws with 2.2 seconds left in the game. Tyreke Evans heave at the buzzer from inside halfcourt was high off the backboard.

Evans finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. DeMarcus Cousins had 21 points and 14 rebounds.

The Kings committed as season-high 21 turnovers that led to 21 points for the Warriors.

OAKLAND - The NBA's two Northern California teams are at the bottom of the Pacific Division.

So this isn't the marquee game for the league, but it's important for both squads. My focus (of course) is the Kings, so here are five things to look for when the Kings play the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena.

As reported several times in The Bee and on sacbee.com -- most recently in Ailene Voisin's column on Jan. 18 -- Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie's future with the team appears increasingly uncertain.

But a report that surfaced Monday night in a fan blog, Sactown Royalty, attributed only to sources - that Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof have considered relieving Petrie of his position and have contacted a management agent - has been denied forcefully by Joe Maloof.

"No, this is not true," Maloof texted The Bee. "I had heard about (the rumor). We will be fine. We have had the toughest schedule in the league by far."

PHOTO CREDIT: Sacramento Kings head coach Keith Smart argues a call during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in Salt Lake City. Jim Urquhart. Associated Press.

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Head coach Keith Smart addresses the media following Monday's practice.

Kings forward-center Chuck Hayes said today that his left shoulder "slightly popped out" in the final seconds of the Kings' loss to the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.

The first thing Hayes said he thought: "Don't panic." Then: "Not again."

"Just breathe slowly, move your arm so it can pop back in," he recalled thinking. "And it did."

Hayes, who missed 11 games after dislocating the left shoulder on Jan. 5, said he expects to play Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors. He said he is aware that the shoulder might be a recurring issue while he continues to rehabilitate and strengthen it.

The story for Monday's newspaper is about Tyreke Evans and his work to become a better facilitator on offense under Keith Smart.

The debate over whether Evans is a point guard seems to have gone on even before the Kings drafted him in 2009.

Some have suggested Evans should be moved to small forward and force him to play off the ball.

Smart doesn't agree that is the best thing to do with with Evans.

"He can't play the three," Smart said after Sunday's practice. "That guy was born with a basketball in his hand - got to keep that thing in his hand. I've tried that one time and that doesn't work so I'm not going to go back to that one because he's not a small forward."

There are other reasons why Evans wouldn't make the best small forward on a regular basis.

Listed at 6-foot-6, Evans would struggle defending a lot of small forwards that are stronger than him. That would potentially keep Evans in foul trouble.

And Evans isn't a spot-up shooter, which he'd need to be in a lot of situations playing small forward.

The Kings will use Evans there in some situations, but don't expect Smart to move Evans and make his backcourt too small by starting any combination of Marcus Thornton, Jimmer Fredette and Isaiah Thomas.

If the Oklahoma City Thunder have all it takes to reach the NBA Finals is a mystery. The only player on the roster they count on that's been to the Finals is center Kendrick Perkins. And if the Thunder are going to win the West, it will be up to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

For now the Thunder looks like the best team in the NBA ... at least that's how I see it.

So here are my power rankings for you all to laugh at. Enjoy.

Chuck Hayes' return to the lineup looked as if it might be a one-game deal when he left the court in the final seconds of Saturday night's loss at Utah.

Hayes was holding his left arm after missing 11 games because of a dislocated left shoulder.

But Hayes won't miss any time.

"(Hayes) just got treatment today but i think he's going to be OK and ready to go," said Kings coach Keith Smart.

Hayes grabbed eight rebounds and had two steals in 20 minutes against the Jazz. His return as a "glue guy" on the court that doesn't need to score is expected to help the Kings, especially on defense.

The Jazz had 96 points last night. The Kings had allowed 117 points per game in their previous three losses.

SALT LAKE CITY - Isaiah Thomas did it again.

The Kings rookie came into a game and energized the team. Thomas scored 13 of the Kings' 26 points in the fourth quarter of Saturday night's 96-93 loss to the Utah Jazz.

Thomas accounted for all 13 bench points for the Kings against the Jazz.

THIRD QUARTER
Jazz 78, Kings 67

SALT LAKE CITY - This game was tied at 56 before the Jazz used a 9-0 run to pull away. Earl Watson's three pointer at the buzzer gave Utah its biggest lead of the night.

Four of five Kings starters have scored I double figures but the Kings have zero bench pints. Meanwhile the Jazz have gotten 18 points off the bench from C.J. Miles.

Utah has 31 bench points.

Tyreke Evans leads the Kings with a game-high 22 points and eight assists. Gordon Hayward leads Utah with 20 points.

SALT LAKE CITY -- Kings forward/center Chuck Hayes will play tonight against the Utah Jazz. He's missed 11 games after dislocating his left shoulder Jan. 5 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Hayes was a starter when he injured his shoulder but will not start tonight. The Kings will stay Jason Thompson playing Hayes' spot along with Tyreke Evans, Jimmer Fredette, John Salmons and DeMarcus Cousins in the starting lineup.

SALT LAKE CITY - The embarrassment from Wednesday's loss to the Denver Nuggets should still be fresh on the minds of Sacramento Kings players and coaches.

The 92 points the Kings allowed in the paint were a record since the NBA began tracking points in the paint in the 2000-01 season.

The Kings have given up a lot in the paint all season via offensive putbacks, dribble penetration and easy baskets in transition. Perhaps how the Nuggets had their way will be enough to embarrass the Kings into putting forth a better effort.

One thing that has come up more than once in conversations with Kings players over the last couple of seasons is scouting reports - namely the players need to do a better job of studying them.

Good teams know the nuances of their opponents and the Kings have struggled with that

When I spoke to Chuck Hayes earlier in the season about the Houston Rockets' 22-game winning streak during the 2007-08 season, Hayes noted how everyone knew the opponent.

Sacramento Bee database reporter Phillip Reese has looked at the Sacramento Kings payroll, one of the lowest team payrolls in the NBA. See his "Kings' low payroll offers clue to current struggles," which ranks teams based on total wins and payroll.

PHOTO CREDIT: Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins sits on the bench after coming out of their game against the Denver Nuggets during the fourth quarter in Sacramento, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. The Nuggets won 122-93. Steve Yeater. Associated Press.

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Kings coach Keith Smart keeps running into obstacles when it comes to implementing the running style of play he wants with the Kings.

First, there's the overall lack of conditioning of the team. Secondly, injuries have prevented Smart from finding continuity.

Perhaps the most important things is this season, the Kings just can't shoot well.

Kings forward Jason Thompson addresses the media following the Kings' loss to the Denver Nuggets.

One statistic that may not have received much outside attention as recently as Wednesday afternoon: The Kings went into their game against the Denver Nuggets allowing the most points in the paint per game of any NBA team (50.4).

The Nuggets, of course, illuminated the issue by scoring 92 points and making all but four of their 50 field goals in the paint in their 122-93 win over the Kings at Power Balance Pavilion. The loss prompted forward Jason Thompson to say that the Kings need to "look ourselves in the mirror" on defense.

"You've got to look at it as, is it just points in the paint in the half-court or is it points in the paint from fast-breaks?" Thompson said. "You break it down to, is it from help or is it just from one-on-one? That's why I say everybody's got to look ourselves in the mirror. Obviously points in the paint, it comes down to the bigs, obviously we'll take the fall for that. But it's all five of us (starters) and guys coming off the bench as well."

The Nuggets, who lead the NBA in fast-break points per game, scored 26 fast-break points. They scored 25 points off of 18 turnovers by the Kings.

Guard Jimmer Fredette reacts to the Kings' most lopsided home loss of the season.

Head coach Keith Smart addresses the media following the Kings' loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Written and circled on the white board in the Kings' locker room after their loss to the Denver Nuggets were a number and three words: "90 pts in paint."

Such was the Kings' undoing Wednesday night at Power Balance Pavilion. The Nuggets, finding easy looks under the basket on fast-breaks and in the half-court alike, scored 92 points in the paint en route to a 122-93 win.

The Nuggets led by three points, 32-29, early in the second quarter, then went on a 34-14 run to close out the quarter and led by as many as 35 points late in the game.

"We didn't have any resistance in the paint," Kings head coach Keith Smart said. "Of course we knew the fast-break was going to be a tough issue for us anyway, the way they get out and push the ball, they're No. 1 in the league. But we just got broken down too many times.

The Kings, missing guard Marcus Thornton and forward-center Chuck Hayes to injury, will play a likewise shorthanded opponent tonight in the Denver Nuggets.

The Nuggets will be without injured guards Arron Afflalo and Rudy Fernandez, as well as center Timofey Mozgov, who is away for the birth of his first child.

Kings head coach Keith Smart declined to say who will start in Thornton's stead. John Salmons started at shooting guard on Monday night against the Portland Trail Blazers, while rookie Jimmer Fredette is another option.

Smart did say he would like to get to a point where he has an established starting lineup -- something that has been complicated by Hayes' absence and Thornton's nagging injury.

The Kings announced earlier today that guard Marcus Thornton is expected to miss 1 to 2 weeks with a significant hematoma in his left thigh. How the Kings continue to deal with his absence will be one thing to keep an eye on beginning tonight, when they play the Denver Nuggets at 7 p.m. at Power Balance Pavilion.

1. What will the starting five look like? Thornton's absence leaves Kings head coach Keith Smart with options. He can start John Salmons in the backcourt with Tyreke Evans for a bigger lineup -- as he did against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday -- or have Jimmer Fredette start alongside Evans. Should Salmons move to shooting guard, it may mean another start for Donte Greene against a sizable Nuggets frontcourt.

Forward-center Chuck Hayes' left shoulder responded well to Tuesday's full-contact practice -- Hayes' first since dislocating the shoulder on Jan. 5 -- but the Kings aren't planning on pushing his return, head coach Keith Smart said this morning.

"He won't go tonight," Smart said. "He woke up this morning with no pain, things like that. Now he's got to get over the approach mentally. ... It's totally in his hands and our team physicians' to see when he's ready. When he's ready and they say he's been released to me then we'll have him on the floor."

The Kings will be without leading scorer Marcus Thornton one to two weeks after a diagnostic ultrasound test performed today at the UC Davis Medical Center revealed a significant hematoma in his left thigh.

Thornton was diagnosed with a thigh contusion and after he was kneed by Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard Jan. 8. Howard was setting a screen when Thornton ran into him.

Thornton missed three games before returning to the lineup. He re-aggravated the injury last Friday at San Antonio and left last Saturday's game at Memphis in the second quarter when his leg stiffened up.

Thornton has missed four games because of the injury. He leads the Kings at 16.4 points per game.

PHOTO CREDIT: Denver Nuggets' Andre Miller (24) celebrates with Ty Lawson (3) and Nene (31), of Brazil, after Miller scored a basket in the final seconds of the second half of an NBA basketball game on Jan. 18, 2012, in Philadelphia. Denver won 108-104 in overtime. Matt Slocum. Associated Press.

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Kings head coach Keith Smart addresses the media following Tuesday's practice.

Kings forward-center Chuck Hayes practiced full-contact today -- the latest step in his recovery from dislocating his left shoulder against the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 5.

Hayes wore a protective sleeve on the shoulder and said afterward that the shoulder "felt good."

"We did some contact drills where I had to engage my shoulder muscles and see if it'll hold up with some resistance, and it felt good," Hayes said. "Now I just think it's the mental standpoint now, just trusting the rehab, trusting the doctors and trusting the treatment that my shoulder's OK."

PHOTO CREDIT: Sacramento Kings' DeMarcus Cousins (15) battles under the boards with Portland Trail Blazers' Marcus Camby, center, and teammate LaMarcus Aldridge, right, in the second half during an NBA basketball game Monday in Portland, Ore. The Trail Blazers defeated the Kings 101-89. Rick Bowmer. Associated Press.

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PORTLAND, Ore. - Jimmer Fredette scored 13 points off the bench in the Kings' 101-89 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers Monday night.

That is significant in that it was the first time in Fredette's rookie season that he scored in double figures in consecutive games.

Fredette had 20 points in last Saturday's loss at Memphis.

Coach Smart discusses Monday night's loss to Portland and the play of DeMarcus Cousins (18 points, 13 rebounds).

FINAL
Blazers 101, Kings 89

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Kings lost their second consecutive in another double-digit road loss.

Jamal Crawford led the Blazers (10-7) with 26 points.

DeMarcus Cousins had 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Kings (6-12).

The Kings host Denver on Wednesday.

THIRD QUARTER
Blazers 74, Kings 56

PORTLAND, Ore. - Not much changed for the Kings in the third quarter. The Blazers only scored 21 points but the Kings couldn't cut into the lead.

The Kings are shooting 33.9 percent and have been outrebounded 47-27. The Blazers are shooting just 42.3 percent, but the Kings struggles on offense have made that percentage more than adequate.

Jamal Crawford, who chose to sign with the Blazers over the Kings, has 20 points off the bench.

DeMarcus Cousins has 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Kings.

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Kings will be without Marcus Thornton after he re-aggravated his bruised left thigh. John Salmons (stomach virus) will play.

How the Kings adjust without Thornton and Salmons' energy are among the things to watch tonight hen the Kings face the Portland Trail Blazers.

PHOTO CREDIT: Portland Trail Blazers' LaMarcus Aldridge, right, and San Antonio Spurs' DeJuan Blair, left, reach for a rebound during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game on Jan. 13, 2012, in San Antonio. Eric Gay. Associated Press.

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PORTLAND - John Salmons has been released from the hospital and is due in Portland tonight. He is questionable for Monday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Salmons missed Saturday night's game at Memphis with what is believed to be food poisoning. Head trainer Manny Romero stayed with Salmons and will fly back with him.

SAN FRANCISCO - Since the Kings are en route to Portland - hopefully near a television by today's NFC Championship game between the 49ers and New York Giants - it seemed like a good time to remind folks back in Sac that Power Balance Pavilion isn't the only antiquaited sports facility. Engineers have been working around the clock to release the rain flooding the Candlestick Park parking lots. Worker removed tarps from the field, but the the field is very soggy nonetheless. The worst is yet to come, weather wise.

No complaints from the media types, though. The NFL arranged for media shuttle buses from a hotel near the airport, with a police escort. It's the only way to travel.

Here is Week 5 of my very unofficial NBA rankings. I still believe the Knicks and Celtics will turn things around at some point. Same goes for the Mavericks.

When that will happen? I have no idea.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Kings forward John Salmons did not make the team chartered flight to Portland following Saturday night's128-95 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies because of a stomach virus.

Salmons is kept at an area hospital overnight.

Salmons notified team training staff around 7 a.m. this morning that he was feeling sick and did not attend Saturday's game.

The Kings play at Portland on Monday.

FINAL
Grizzlies 128, Kings 95

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Kings' winning streak ended at two as the Grizzlies routed Sacramento thanks to a strong second half. It was the Kings' most lopsided loss to the Grizzlies in franchise history.

The Grizzlies beat the Kings by 28, 118-90, Feb. 26, 2011.

Rudy Gay led the Grizzlies (9-6) with 23 points as four Memphis players had at least 20 points. The Grizzlies shot 54.3 percent for the game.

The Kings (6-11) were led by Jimmer Fredette's season-high 20 points. DeMarcus Cousins had 19 points and 11 rebounds and Donte' Greene had 19 points.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Here are your five things to watch when the Kings go for their third consecutive win tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies.

1. A fast start
The Kings jumped out to a 32-20 lead after the first quarter Friday night at San Antonio which was key in beating the Spurs. If the Kings can do that, they'll be in position to win late.

SAN ANTONIO - Keith Smart's emphasis has been on building a team where everyone gets the credit.

And Smart is making sure everyone gets credit.

Smart shared that it was Francisco Garcia who suggested Smart leave John Salmons in the game late and he responded with consecutive jumpers to tie the game at 86 before Tyreke Evans gave the Kings the lead for good.