Confident Kings return home to host Grizzlies (Dec 31, 2016)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Now that the holidays are just about over, the Sacramento Kings are finally coming home. The Memphis Grizzlies are heading out of town, hoping to find some stable footing during a week on the West Coast.

From both places, both teams seem optimistic about where they're headed in 2017.

The Kings and Grizzlies close out the calendar year with a matinee special at Golden 1 Center on Saturday in a game that Kings coach Dave Joerger told the Sacramento Bee was "the cherry on top" of a month-plus grind on the road. For the Grizzlies, the grind is just beginning.

The road treated Sacramento well. The Kings (14-18) went from an afterthought to eighth place in the Western Conference and carved out their longest winning streak in 11 months while playing 12 out of 16 games on the road from Nov. 27 through Wednesday's 102-89 loss at Portland. That defeat ended the Kings' four-game roll.

Now, with playoff aspirations in Sacramento percolating again, the Kings will play eight of their next nine games at home, including seven in a row beginning Jan. 4.

"We've been on the road a lot," Joerger told the Bee. "It's been three weeks since we've had a practice, let alone a good one."

Their most recent game wasn't a good one. Sacramento allowed Portland to move at will offensively and fell behind 60-44 by halftime while allowing the Blazers to make eight 3-pointers and shoot 51.2 percent.

The Kings also played for the seventh time in eight games without forward Rudy Gay, who aggravated a right hip flexor in a win Monday over Philadelphia. His status for Saturday is questionable. Guard Aaron Afflalo's status also is unclear because of an elbow sprain that kept him out two straight games.

"It's no reason to get down or get drained," Sacramento forward DeMarcus Cousins (29.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 35 minutes per game) told reporters. "Or to start thinking negative."

The Grizzlies' broke out to a fast start under new coach Dave Fizdale, who replaced Joerger and guided Memphis (21-14) to an 18-9 mark in his first third of the season. But a 96-92 loss to the Kings at home on Dec. 16, two days after a 93-85 win over defending champion Cleveland, started the Grizzlies on a negative rut that has seen them lose five of eight.

Now they play seven of their next nine on the road. Memphis is 8-7 on the road this season, 4-1 on the West Coast, and comes into Sacramento riding a 114-80 home rout of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. Memphis won despite playing its second straight game without starting point guard Mike Conley (left big toe), whose status for Saturday remains questionable.

After the Kings, the Grizzlies have road games in Los Angeles against the Clippers and Lakers and in Oakland against the Golden State Warriors.

"We have some great teams we've got to play on the road, and we're looking forward to it," Memphis guard Troy Daniels told reporters after the Thunder win. "We know guys are coming back and there are fluctuations with the rotation every now and then. So it's very important for everybody to find their rhythm."

Center Marc Gasol is one Grizzly who hasn't struggled with that. Gasol leads the Grizzlies in scoring (20.1 points) and blocked shots (1.6), and is second in assists (4.2) and third in rebounding (6.2). He's played 33 of Memphis' 35 games after missing 30 games with a fractured bone in his foot last season.