Atlanta @ Sacramento preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 1, 2018 ) Sacramento 146, Atlanta 115

The Sacramento Kings fought their way through a disappointing road trip and head home with an even record and an uphill climb in the Western Conference. The Kings will try to pick up the pace when they return home and host the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.

Sacramento dropped four of six on the just-completed trip, with each of the four losses coming by double digits. "We've played some teams that play a little bit slower this month and we've had a couple of guys who aren't shooting the ball great, and they'll be better," Kings coach Dave Joerger told reporters. "(Veterans) Nemanja (Bjelica) and Iman (Shumpert) are both having a couple of weeks where they're not shooting the ball great, but that stuff always evens itself out and we like the space." The Hawks are not quite as far along on the rebuilding curve as Sacramento but are making some definite strides of late and improved to 2-1 on their seven-game road trip with a 123-118 triumph at the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday. Atlanta rookie Trae Young led the way with 26 points and eight assists and is averaging 28 points over the last two games after beginning the trip with five points on 1-of-12 shooting in a win at Chicago.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), NBCS California (Sacramento)

ABOUT THE HAWKS (16-33): Young and power forward John Collins are the cornerstones of the rebuilding effort in Atlanta and are both playing well of late. Collins is averaging 26 points on 76.3 percent shooting over the first three games of the trip and averages a double-double (19.5 points and 10 rebounds) on the season. Rookie shooting guard Kevin Huerter is not enjoying quite as much success on the trip and is 3-of-18 from the floor over the last two games after missing the opener at Chicago with a neck injury.

ABOUT THE KINGS (25-25): Sacramento leading scorer Buddy Hield (20.2 points) will participate in the 3-point contest during All-Star weekend and is shooting 45.7 percent from beyond the arc on the season but went 2-of-7 at the Clippers as part of a 6-of-17 effort from the floor. Hield was 24-of-41 from 3-point range over the first five games of the trip and was one of several players limping to the end as the Kings shot 39.8 percent in Los Angeles. Point guard De'Aaron Fox (21 points on 8-of-16 shooting) was an exception on Sunday and scored over 20 points in each of the last two games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Hawks C Dewayne Dedmon recorded his first double-double in a month with 13 points and 10 rebounds on Monday.

2. Kings SG Bogdan Bogdanovic is 2-of-16 from 3-point range over the last three games.

3. Sacramento raced to a 146-115 win at Atlanta on Nov. 1 behind 31 points and 15 assists from Fox.

PREDICTION: Kings 126, Hawks 120