Sacramento @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 26, 2018 ) Sacramento 118, L.A. Clippers 127

The Los Angeles Clippers did not have much success the last time they were at home but raised their level of play on the road and are ready to bring the wins back to the home fans. The Clippers will try to post their third consecutive win when they host the Sacramento Kings on Sunday in the opener of a three-game homestand.

Los Angeles was swept on a four-game homestand before hitting the road and winning three of four, capped by a 106-101 triumph at Chicago on Friday that included a triple-double off the bench from guard Lou Williams. Williams, several teammates and coach Doc Rivers didn't arrive at the arena until a half hour before tipoff due to snow and traffic in Chicago that delayed the team's second bus but proved they didn't need pregame warm-ups to execute down the stretch. The Kings are at the end of a six-game road trip and gave themselves a chance to split the excursion when they snapped a two-game slide with a 99-96 triumph at Memphis on Friday. "We definitely needed this win to stay in the playoff hunt, especially in the west," point guard De'Aaron Fox told reporters. "Now we've just got to try to build off this."

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Sacramento), FS Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)

ABOUT THE KINGS (25-24): Sacramento is surprising people with its run at a spot in the top eight in the West and is trying to get the better of opponents by moving at a faster pace. Friday marked just the second time this season that the Kings won when scoring fewer than 100 points, and opponents are making a concerted effort to slow down the young team. "The scouting report on us is to stop us from running," Fox told reporters. "Everybody has a scouting report and (against) the good teams, it doesn't matter what you’re trying to do, they're going to do what their identity is, what they plan on doing, and we have to be able to get to that level."

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (27-22): Los Angeles occupies the No. 8 spot in the West, one ahead of the Kings, and needed strong performances from Williams and starting small forward Tobias Harris to squeeze past the Bulls. Harris poured in 29 points on 10-of-15 shooting Friday and averaged 30 points on 22-of-34 over the last two contests - both wins - after being held to nine points on 1-of-9 shooting at Dallas on Tuesday. Williams, 32, logged his first career triple-double on Friday in his 14th season.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Clippers SF Danilo Gallinari (back) is expected to miss his fifth straight game on Sunday.

2. Kings PF Nemanja Bjelica recorded his fifth double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds on Friday.

3. Los Angeles took the first two meetings this season, including a 127-118 home win on Dec. 26.

PREDICTION: Kings 121, Clippers 116