
The Sacramento Kings have been terrible at Arco Arena of late. On Tuesday night, they'll try to end a six-game home skid when they take on a Utah Jazz team coming off its worst home loss in two seasons.
After losing its first home game of the season Nov. 24 on a last-second shot by Chicago guard Larry Hughes, Utah (11-7) rolled past Memphis and Sacramento by an average of 21.5 points prior to Saturday's finale of its four-game homestand.Utah, though, couldn't keep up the momentum in a matchup with New Jersey, falling 105-88 for its most lopsided home defeat since a 126-98 loss to Phoenix on April 14, 2007.
"Our schedule is so bananas, something like this shouldn't make any difference. It's all on us. We just didn't come out and play well tonight," forward Kyle Korver said of the Jazz playing four home games in six days. "It's one of those nights where we didn't have it going and they got it cooking."
Utah averaged 118.5 points and 53.3 percent shooting in the wins over the Grizzlies and Kings, but scored 37 points in the second half and shot 43.4 percent overall against the Nets.
Deron Williams had his third straight double-double with 10 points and 13 assists after missing seven games with a sprained left ankle. Williams, though, committed five of Utah's 19 turnovers.
Williams, who had 13 points and 15 assists in Utah's 120-94 win over the Kings on Nov. 28, averaged 24.0 points and 8.0 assists in two losses at Sacramento last season.
Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko received a cortisone shot Monday after leaving Saturday's game with an ankle injury, and he's unlikely to play against Utah.
Forward Carlos Boozer, who's missed the previous six games with a strained left quadriceps, will travel to Sacramento but is not likely to play.
Paul Millsap has thrived in Boozer's absence, averaging 19.0 points and 11.8 rebounds in Utah's four home games last week. He had 11 points and 11 rebounds in the victory over Sacramento on Nov. 28.
While Utah begins another busy stretch with four games in five nights, Sacramento (5-14) will be looking for its first home victory in more than three weeks.
The Kings moved closer to the team record of eight consecutive home losses with Saturday's 101-78 defeat to Dallas. Sacramento hasn't won at Arco since Nov. 9.
"It was obviously a pretty tough night, we just shot the ball so poorly," said Sacramento coach Reggie Theus, whose team has lost six in a row overall.
Sacramento shot a season-worst 34.8 percent from the field against the Mavericks and was 0-for-15 from 3-point range.
Kings leading scorer Kevin Martin was expected to practice Monday and could play Tuesday after missing the past 12 games with an ankle injury.
Sacramento might not have swingman John Salmons against the Jazz, as he suffered a groin injury Saturday. Salmons, who scored a team-high 20 points against Utah on Nov. 28, has averaged 20.3 points since the loss of Martin.
The Kings have won six of the previous seven meetings with the Jazz in Sacramento.