The Sacramento Kings are tied for the worst record in the NBA, but things are looking up as the team hosts the Orlando Magic at Sleep Train Arena on Friday night.
After missing two games with a bruised knee, point guard Tyreke Evans returned on Wednesday night to help the Kings defeat Toronto 107-100 to end a three-game losing streak. Evans is scoring 15.7 points per game and is leading the team with 3.7 assists per game. The 15 points are a career low, but he has been playing more aggressively in recent games.
Evans has been the catalyst for the Kings on offense this season, although the team is ranked just 22nd in the league with 94 points per game. He scored 23 points and had two rebounds and two assists in the win over Toronto and has been averaging 19 points in the last ten games.
DeMarcus Cousins is the leading scorer and rebounder for the team, averaging 16.6 points and 9.7 rebounds. He was essential in the win on Wednesday, grabbing 25 points and 13 rebounds while making 11-of-18 shots.
"I'm happy for (Evans), especially on his outside shooting," said center DeMarcus Cousins, who finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds Wednesday. "If Tyreke gets confidence in that shot he's going to be an incredible player."
The biggest issue for the Kings this season has been on the defensive side of the ball. Sacramento is allowing 100 points per game and is only ranked 25th in rebounding.
Last season the Kings went 22-44 and finished fifth place in the Pacific division. The Kings are only 3-7 in the past 10 games and have lost all six games on the road this season. Luckily Sacramento is the home team on Wednesday.
The Orlando Magic has struggled this season under first-year coach Jacque Vaughn and are still dealing with the departure of former franchise star Dwight Howard.
The team is coming off of an 87-81 loss to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night and has lost six of the last 10 games. The Magic will have a tough matchup against the Kings, who have a number of players that can score.
"Our ability to contain penetration -- it boils down to that," Vaughn said. "They have guys who can, at the end of the day, break you down one-on-one and score the basketball, whether it's Aaron Brooks, Tyreke Evans, you can go down the line, John Salmons and even Cousins at the center position doing it one-on-one."
The Magic rely heavily on the three-pointer, but are only scoring 92 points per game this season. The team is ranked ninth in rebounding, but is allowing 96 points per game on defense.
Aaron Afflalo has been the most impressive player for the Magic, leading the team in scoring with 16.1 points per game. He scored 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting in the loss to Utah and has scored in double-digits in three straight games.
In Monday's 102-94 win against Golden State, Afflalo scored 24 points and added four rebounds and had 30 points in a 113-103 win over the Lakers on Sunday. The game in Los Angles was the first against former Magic star Dwight Howard and resulted in an emotional victory for Orlando.
The Magic are 2-1 on their West coast road trip, but have lost three of the past five games. Over the past 10 games Afflalo has averaged 15 points and is shooting just over 46 percent from the field.
Nikola Vucevic is leading the team in rebounding with 9.9 per game and grabbed 16 rebounds in the loss to Utah on Wednesday. Prior to the loss, Vucevic recorded two double-doubles, including 17 points and 12 rebounds against the Lakers.
Orlando is ranked 11th in the Eastern Conference and has been shooting over 44 percent as a team.
Point guard Jameer Nelson is leading the team in assists with 6.5 per game and is scoring 13.4 points. Nelson has averaged 33 minutes over the past nine games and is shooting over 40 percent from the field.
According to the Associated Press, "The Magic has won two straight and seven of eight in this series, averaging 112.0 points during that stretch."
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