Houston @ Sacramento preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 14, 2018 ) Sacramento 91, Houston 100

The Houston Rockets look to maintain their momentum when they conclude the regular season on Wednesday against the host Sacramento Kings. The Rockets own homecourt advantage throughout the postseason and have been sizzling hot, winning 31 of their last 34 games.

Houston recorded a 105-99 road victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, and coach Mike D'Antoni insists his team will be giving a full effort in the finale despite there being nothing at stake. The coach might be a little more cautious versus the Kings after forward Luc Mbah a Moute dislocated his right shoulder against the Lakers and is scheduled to undergo an MRI exam on Wednesday. "He's a big part of what we're trying to do and have been doing," All-Star guard James Harden told reporters after Tuesday's game. "He'll bounce back stronger than ever. Hopefully, he can come back in his role." Sacramento is finishing up its 12th consecutive losing campaign and saw Willie Cauley-Stein excel with 25 points and 10 rebounds in Monday's 98-85 loss to San Antonio for his first double-double since Feb. 27.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Southwest (Houston), NBCS California (Sacramento)

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (65-16): Houston has long known that it will play the eighth seed in the Western Conference, but the identity of that opponent remains a mystery entering the final day of the season as Denver visits Minnesota to decide who fills the spot. "Last week, everybody was fighting for a spot," Harden said of the playoff derby. "No matter who we play, we'll have that same mindset - watch film, studying and get ready to go." Backup guard Eric Gordon (ankle) returned from a two-game absence against the Lakers but recorded just six points on 2-of-9 shooting.

ABOUT THE KINGS (26-55): Rookie guard Frank Mason III will miss the contest after it was discovered he has a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his left foot. Mason sat out Monday's game due to soreness and an MRI on Tuesday uncovered the injury, putting an end to a campaign in which he averaged 7.9 points and 2.8 assists over 52 games. Mason isn't the only player who will be sidelined as guard Garrett Temple and forward Skal Labissiere both will sit out with sprained left ankles.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Rockets are 2-0 against the Kings this season and have won the last seven meetings.

2. Houston F Ryan Anderson (ankle) is slated to miss his fourth straight game.

3. Sacramento rookie PG De'Aaron Fox scored 21 points against the Spurs and is averaging 15.4 over his last five contests.

PREDICTION: Rockets 117, Kings 112