A Royal Pain
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Game Preview: Sacramento Kings Set Sights On 30-Win Season

By Spencer Ault

Jan 26, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) shoots over Portland Trail Blazers center Mason Plumlee (24) during the first quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 26, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) shoots over Portland Trail Blazers center Mason Plumlee (24) during the first quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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The last time the Sacramento Kings won 30 games in a season, Ron Artest – not Metta World Peace – was the team’s second leading scorer. It was the 2007-08 season, Reggie Theus was the head coach, and Spencer Hawes was a promising rookie fresh from the University of Washington.

A lot has changed for the Kings since that 38-44 season, but Sacramento has yet to break that 30-win barrier since. Monday night’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers will provide DeMarcus Cousins and company with an opportunity to snap that seven-year streak of ineptitude. It’s a modest goal for sure, but what other goals can these Kings (29-44) realistically have?

Breaking the barrier against the Trail Blazers (38-36) will be no easy task. Portland has exercised near mastery over Sacramento at home, winning their last five games at the Moda Center against the Kings, and are winners of 13 of their last 15 home games.

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Led by star point guard Damian Lillard (25.5 ppg and 6.9 apg), the Trail Blazers are in sixth place in the Western Conference. Portland has reason to be grateful for Sacramento’s blowout win over the Dallas Mavericks Sunday night, as Dallas dropped to 2 1/2 games back of the Blazers in the Western playoff hunt.

The Kings looked reborn in that 133-111 win Sunday night, shooting 62.2 percent from the field. It was Sacramento’s best shooting performance since 2007 and the third best by any NBA team this season, a remarkable accomplishment for a team that had been in a bit of an offensive funk.

Rookie big man Willie Cauley-Stein is on an absolute tear as of late, coming off two straight 20-point games, including a career-high 26 points in a 116-94 rout of the Phoenix Suns Friday night. Cauley-Stein had 22 points and 7 rebounds Sunday night, a performance that earned accolades from Cousins.

Two straight wins seem to have put Cousins in a good mood, as evidenced by the All-Star’s exuberant bench celebrations and effusive postgame praise for his teammates. Cousins has also been playing effectively in the wins, notching a 20-12 double double in only 28 minutes against Dallas.

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Strong performances from both Cousins and Cauley-Stein will be important against Portland, especially in Sacramento’s attempt to counter the Trail Blazer 1-2 punch of Lillard and CJ McCollum. The job of defending both of Portland’s scorers will fall to the Kings’ bevy of guards, particularly Rajon Rondo, Ben McLemore, Darren Collison, and (hopefully) Seth Curry.

With no practical postseason aspirations to play for at this point in the year, Sacramento’s main objective will be playing spoiler against the many Western playoff contenders they play in the next few weeks. First up, of course, are the sixth-seed Trail Blazers. A 30-win season is hardly the Promised Land, but it is undoubtedly an improvement from seasons past.

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