The Sacramento Kings will play their first home game in almost two weeks when they entertain the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night at Golden 1 Center.
The Kings are listing Malik Monk as questionable due to right shoulder soreness. Monk missed Sunday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets after bruising the shoulder, but he returned to score 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting in Wednesday’s victory over the Toronto Raptors.
The Kings (20-57) had lost four in a row and six of their last seven before concluding a five-game road trip with a 123-115 victory over the Raptors at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points to pass Dominique Wilkins for 17th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. DeRozan needs 23 points to pass Oscar Robertson for 16th.
The Kings still have the fourth-worst record in the NBA. With five games remaining, they are one game ahead of the Utah Jazz.
Finishing with one of the three worst records would give the Kings a 14% chance of landing the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. The fourth-worst record would give them a 12.5% chance. Falling to fifth would reduce their chances to 10.5%.
The Pelicans (25-52) have lost six in a row. They are 12th in the Western Conference with no chance to catch the Golden State Warriors for the final play-in spot.
New Orleans will be on the second night of a back-to-back after suffering a 118-106 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday. The Pelicans are 4-10 in such situations this season.
The Pelicans have yet to submit an injury report. Trey Murphy III has been nursing a right ankle sprain, but he played against Portland.
The Kings have ruled out Patrick Baldwin Jr. (G League), Drew Eubanks (thumb), De’Andre Hunter (eye), Zach LaVine (finger), Keegan Murray (ankle), Domantas Sabonis (knee), Isaiah Stevens (G League) and Russell Westbrook (toe).
Pelicans at Kings
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Golden 1 Center
TV: NBA TV, NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140
Odds: Pelicans -5.5
Over/under: 234.5
Injury report
Pelicans: Not yet submitted.
Kings: QUESTIONABLE — Malik Monk (shoulder). OUT — Patrick Baldwin Jr. (G League); Drew Eubanks (thumb); De’Andre Hunter (eye); Zach LaVine (finger); Keegan Murray (ankle); Domantas Sabonis (knee); Isaiah Stevens (G League); Russell Westbrook (toe).
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Jason Anderson is The Sacramento Bee’s Kings beat writer. He is a Sacramento native and a graduate of Fresno State, where he studied journalism and college basketball under the late Jerry Tarkanian.