Kings vs. Hornets: Western Conference playoff race, injury reports and 3 things to watch
The Kings are coming off one of their worst losses of the season as they prepare to face the Charlotte Hornets on Monday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. The Hornets are coming off one of the worst losses in franchise history.
Interim Kings coach Doug Christie will be looking for a strong response after holding a meeting with his starters following Friday’s 132-108 loss to the Warriors. Sacramento committed a season-high 24 turnovers, allowing the Warriors to amass a 38-5 advantage in points off turnovers.
The Kings (28-28) are 10th in the Western Conference with 26 games to go. They have a 1 ½-game lead over the Phoenix Suns for the final play-in spot. They are three games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 6 seed and the final automatic playoff berth.
The Hornets (14-41) have the fourth-worst record in the NBA. They have already played three games since the All-Star break, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 100-97 before falling 129-115 to the Denver Nuggets and 141-88 to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Here are three things to watch in Monday’s game.
Looking to bounce back
Both teams are looking to bounce back from blowout losses.
The Kings suffered their third-worst loss of the season on Friday, losing to the Warriors by 24 points. They lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder by 34 points on Feb. 1 and the Indiana Pacers by 27 points on Dec. 22.
The Hornets lost to the Blazers by 53 points on Friday. They tied the worst loss in franchise history, a 135-82 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 16, 2023.
Charlotte’s injuries
The Hornets are missing several players due to injuries, including Brandon Miller and Mark Williams. Five of their top eight scorers have been ruled out for Monday’s game.
Miller (21.0 ppg) is out due to right wrist ligament repair. Mark Williams (15.1 ppg, 9.4 rpg) was ruled out due to left foot injury management. Tre Mann (14.1 ppg) is out with a herniated disc, Grant Williams (10.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg) is out with an ACL injury and Josh Okogie (10.0 ppg) is out with a left hamstring strain.
Sacramento’s turnovers
Sacramento has struggled to establish chemistry and continuity since making a series of moves ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
The Kings are tied for 29th in the NBA in turnovers (16.4) in eight games since trading De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in the deal that brought Zach LaVine to Sacramento while sending Kevin Huerter to the Chicago Bulls.
Hornets at Kings
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Golden 1 Center
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140
Odds: Kings -11.5
Over/under: 231.5
Injury report
Hornets: OUT — DaQuan Jeffries (knee); Tre Mann (back); Brandon Miller (wrist); Josh Okogie (hamstring); Grant Williams (knee); Mark Williams (foot).
Kings: None.
