Sacramento, CA (My Sportsbook) - The
Sacramento Kings play the first of a critical two-game homestand tonight, as they welcome the
New Orleans Hornets to ARCO Arena.
The Kings are a half-game ahead of the second-place Los Angeles Lakers in the Pacific Division. Sacramento is also tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the top spot in the Western Conference. The Timberwolves have played two more games then the Kings, who host Minnesota on Thursday.
New Orleans is tied for fifth place with the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Hornets and Heat trail the fourth-place Milwaukee Bucks by one game.
This is the second and final meeting of the season between the two squads. On December 18th, Sacramento beat the Hornets, 101-90, at the New Orleans Arena.
Peja Stojakovic scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Sacramento over Houston, 99-94, on Sunday at the Toyota Center. Chris Webber added 19 points, eight boards and six assists for the Kings, who have won just two of their last six games.
The Kings are expected to get center Brad Miller, who has missed the team's last three games with bursitis in his right elbow, back tonight. Miller is averaging 14.4 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 66 games this season.
Sacramento is an impressive 32-6 at home this season. The Kings are 12-4 in Tuesday games.
New Orleans finishes a five-game road trip. The Hornets are 1-3 on the current swing.
The struggling Hornets had their recent woes extended Sunday night, as they fell 96-88 to the Seattle SuperSonics at KeyArena. Jamaal Magloire netted a team-high 17 points, as the Hornets have lost five of their last six games.
Shammond Williams scored 14 points, while David Wesley and Darrell Armstrong had 12 and 10 points in Sunday's loss for New Orleans. The Hornets have lost 11 of their last 16 games overall.
New Orleans is just 14-24 on the road this season.
The Kings have won five of six and nine of the last 11 contests in this series. The Hornets have lost nine of their last 10 at Sacramento.
