Sacramento @ Oklahoma City preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 22, 2018 ) Oklahoma City 110, Sacramento 107

The Oklahoma City Thunder have an excellent opportunity to claim their second three-game winning streak since the All-Star break when they host the Sacramento Kings on Monday. After dropping the opener of their four-game homestand to Western Conference-leading Houston, the Thunder have taken back-to-back games against Phoenix and San Antonio while allowing an average of 90.5 points.

"We are just remaining positive, that's it, just remaining positive," forward Paul George told reporters after the 104-94 win over the Spurs on Saturday. "We are talking coverages out and the team is going well. That's really what this game is all about." Russell Westbrook recorded his 98th career triple-double with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for Oklahoma City, which is tied with two other teams for fourth in the West - two games out of third but just 1 1/2 up on the ninth-place team. The Kings will have little time to recover from an ugly 130-104 loss at Denver on Sunday. They trailed by as many as 36 points while falling to 10-24 on the road.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Sacramento), FS Oklahoma

ABOUT THE KINGS (21-46): Center Willie Cauley-Stein returned from a four-game absence due to a back issue but veteran big man Kosta Koufos remained in the starting lineup and notched his second straight double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Rookie De'Aaron Fox also returned after he missed one game with a back ailment and handed out nine assists, but Sacramento's replenished lineup was no match for a playoff-hungry Nuggets squad. "Either you're going to hit people or you're going to be hit," Kings coach Dave Joerger told reporters. "We got hit and they just kept going."

ABOUT THE THUNDER (39-29): Center Steven Adams left Saturday's win over the Spurs with a sprained ankle and is questionable for this one. After he departed the contest, little-used veteran Nick Collison provided a lift with all seven of his points during a crucial fourth-quarter run. "There has been a couple years for me where I haven't played much," Collison told the media after his best scoring effort of the season. "I'm just trying to focus when I'm out there on what is actually going on. Trying not to let it get into my head too much that I haven't been out here in a long time - really just focus on the play in front of you. I've gotten better at that as I've gone on. You just have to stay ready."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Westbrook buried a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift Oklahoma City to a 110-107 win in Sacramento last month.

2. Kings SG Bogdan Bogdanovic is 3-for-18 from 3-point range over his last three games after going 8-for-14 in the previous three.

3. Thunder SF Corey Brewer is averaging 14.5 points on 55.6 percent shooting in two starts since joining the team earlier this month.

PREDICTION: Thunder 112, Kings 98