The Kings were near their peak when the played the Heat three weeks ago in Miami. They didn’t come out of the game with a win, but it was Sacramento’s lone loss in eight games, and the Kings had a lead in the final two minutes against the defending Eastern Conference champions.
Now the Kings are arguably at their nadir. They’ve dropped their last four in mostly disastrous fashion, their defense has fallen off in the process, and the injuries are piling on. In addition to being without Richaun Holmes and Chimezie Metu, who both missed the last game against Brooklyn, the Kings won’t have Harrison Barnes, who has been their second-best player this season.