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SATURDAY NBA FREE PLAY
9.05pm ET
Sacramento Kings (34-34) at Utah Jazz (32-36)
Recommended Play: UNDER 192 -113
Preview courtesy of TSN:
Hoping to erase the memory of an ugly loss in their last visit to Salt Lake City, the Sacramento Kings try to beat one of their closest pursuers for the Western Conference's eighth and final playoff spot as they face the Utah Jazz.Since falling a season-worst eight games under .500 with an 89-79 loss at the Delta Center on Feb. 3, the Kings have rallied to claim the No. 8 seed in the West. Utah is 10th in the conference and sits two games behind Sacramento.That margin will be cut in half if the Kings finish similarly to how they did in their last trip to Utah.Sacramento led 67-55 after three quarters, but shot 0-for-20 from the field in the fourth quarter. It was the first time the Kings failed to score a field goal in one quarter since Feb. 4, 1987.Sacramento has lost its last two visits to the Delta Center after winning nine straight regular-season games there.The Kings' road record this season (11-23) is the inverse of their home record (23-11)."We're going to have to win some games on the road if we're going to get into the playoffs," said Kings coach Rick Adelman, who seeks to direct the team to an eighth straight postseason appearance.Sacramento has won 14 in a row at home, but has lost three straight on the road."We've got to find energy in an arena that is not our own," Kings forward Ron Artest said.Sacramento enters this game after an 87-80 road loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, having blown a chance to move into seventh place in the West."We've got to put this game behind us," said Artest, who had 18 points and 10 rebounds.The Jazz retired Karl Malone's uniform number during halftime of their last game on Thursday, but lost 109-97 to the Washington Wizards. Utah has not made the playoffs since Malone's last season with the team in 2002-03, when it lost in the first round to Sacramento.The Jazz have lost five of seven."I'm not asking them to be Karl Malone, but I think I have a right to hold players accountable," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. "If I do that, then I'm being a little bit too harsh on them at times. But we have a tendency to think that no work is the best policy and that will cause you a great deal of trouble."The Jazz made only 23 of 35 free throws (66 percent) on Thursday and allowed the Wizards to shoot 16-for-25 (64 percent) from 3-point range.Carlos Boozer led Utah with 30 points, and Andrei Kirilenko added 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists.Jazz leading scorer Mehmet Okur, though, was held to seven points on 2-of-13 shooting with seven boards. He averaged 23.8 points and 12.0 rebounds in the previous four games.Boozer has averaged 24.6 points and 9.8 boards in the last five games.STANDINGS (through March 23): Kings - 4th place, 12 1/2 GB, Pacific Division. Jazz - 2nd place, 6 1/2 GB, Northwest Division.PROBABLE STARTERS: Kings - F Kenny Thomas, F Artest, C Brad Miller, G Mike Bibby, G Kevin Martin. Jazz - F Matt Harpring, F Boozer, C Okur, G Deron Williams, G Kirilenko.TEAM LEADERS: Kings - Bibby, 20.8 ppg and 5.6 apg; Miller, 7.9 rpg. Jazz - Okur, 17.8 ppg and Okur 9.2 rpg; Kirilenko, 4.2 apg.SEASON SERIES: Kings, 2-1.LAST MEETING: Feb. 5; Kings, 96-78. At Sacramento, Calif., Bibby had23 points and Martin added 20 as Sacramento avoided being swept in a home-and-home set. Okur's 25 points led Utah.ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Kings - 11-23 on the road; Jazz - 17-17 at home.
Good luck
Mike Thomas
www.ChampionPlays.com
9.05pm ET
Sacramento Kings (34-34) at Utah Jazz (32-36)
Recommended Play: UNDER 192 -113
Preview courtesy of TSN:
Hoping to erase the memory of an ugly loss in their last visit to Salt Lake City, the Sacramento Kings try to beat one of their closest pursuers for the Western Conference's eighth and final playoff spot as they face the Utah Jazz.Since falling a season-worst eight games under .500 with an 89-79 loss at the Delta Center on Feb. 3, the Kings have rallied to claim the No. 8 seed in the West. Utah is 10th in the conference and sits two games behind Sacramento.That margin will be cut in half if the Kings finish similarly to how they did in their last trip to Utah.Sacramento led 67-55 after three quarters, but shot 0-for-20 from the field in the fourth quarter. It was the first time the Kings failed to score a field goal in one quarter since Feb. 4, 1987.Sacramento has lost its last two visits to the Delta Center after winning nine straight regular-season games there.The Kings' road record this season (11-23) is the inverse of their home record (23-11)."We're going to have to win some games on the road if we're going to get into the playoffs," said Kings coach Rick Adelman, who seeks to direct the team to an eighth straight postseason appearance.Sacramento has won 14 in a row at home, but has lost three straight on the road."We've got to find energy in an arena that is not our own," Kings forward Ron Artest said.Sacramento enters this game after an 87-80 road loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, having blown a chance to move into seventh place in the West."We've got to put this game behind us," said Artest, who had 18 points and 10 rebounds.The Jazz retired Karl Malone's uniform number during halftime of their last game on Thursday, but lost 109-97 to the Washington Wizards. Utah has not made the playoffs since Malone's last season with the team in 2002-03, when it lost in the first round to Sacramento.The Jazz have lost five of seven."I'm not asking them to be Karl Malone, but I think I have a right to hold players accountable," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. "If I do that, then I'm being a little bit too harsh on them at times. But we have a tendency to think that no work is the best policy and that will cause you a great deal of trouble."The Jazz made only 23 of 35 free throws (66 percent) on Thursday and allowed the Wizards to shoot 16-for-25 (64 percent) from 3-point range.Carlos Boozer led Utah with 30 points, and Andrei Kirilenko added 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists.Jazz leading scorer Mehmet Okur, though, was held to seven points on 2-of-13 shooting with seven boards. He averaged 23.8 points and 12.0 rebounds in the previous four games.Boozer has averaged 24.6 points and 9.8 boards in the last five games.STANDINGS (through March 23): Kings - 4th place, 12 1/2 GB, Pacific Division. Jazz - 2nd place, 6 1/2 GB, Northwest Division.PROBABLE STARTERS: Kings - F Kenny Thomas, F Artest, C Brad Miller, G Mike Bibby, G Kevin Martin. Jazz - F Matt Harpring, F Boozer, C Okur, G Deron Williams, G Kirilenko.TEAM LEADERS: Kings - Bibby, 20.8 ppg and 5.6 apg; Miller, 7.9 rpg. Jazz - Okur, 17.8 ppg and Okur 9.2 rpg; Kirilenko, 4.2 apg.SEASON SERIES: Kings, 2-1.LAST MEETING: Feb. 5; Kings, 96-78. At Sacramento, Calif., Bibby had23 points and Martin added 20 as Sacramento avoided being swept in a home-and-home set. Okur's 25 points led Utah.ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Kings - 11-23 on the road; Jazz - 17-17 at home.
Good luck
Mike Thomas
www.ChampionPlays.com