SACRAMENTO -- The final four games are here and the Sacramento Kings need to finish strong if they hope to finish at or above the .500 mark on the season. They'll face a struggling Cleveland Cavaliers team Thursday evening at Golden 1 Center with a chance for their 39th win of the season.
The Kings are coming off a completely forgettable blow out loss to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday evening. They'll need a better effort if they hope to avoid a second straight embarrassing loss and get back in the win column.
[RELATED: How to watch Kings-Cavs online and on MyTeams app]
Cleveland has dropped six straight games and they sit at 19-59 on the season. The post-LeBron James era hasn't been kind for the team that has represented the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals the last four seasons. Rookie Collin Sexton has been a bright spot for the Cavs. The 20-year-old is posting 20.9 points per game since the All-Star break.
Kings Pregame Live on NBC Sports California begins at 6:30 p.m., with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. All coverage can be seen on the MyTeams by NBC Sports app.
The Kings hit the road following the game where they'll play the Utah Jazz Friday evening on the second night of a back-to-back. They'll finish the season with the Pelicans on Sunday at home, followed by one last road trip to Portland to face the Trail Blazers.
Line
Sports
Kings by 9.5
Projected Lineups
Kings
PG De'Aaron Fox
SG Buddy Hield
SF Harrison Barnes
PF Nemanja Bjelica
C Willie Cauley-Stein
Cavs
PG Brandon Knight
SG Collin Sexton
SF Cedi Osman
PF Larry Nance
C Tristan Thompson
Injury Report
Kings
C Harry Giles (thigh bruise) out for the season.
Cavs
PF Kevin Love (shoulder) out, PF John Henson (wrist) out, PG Matthew Dellavedova (concussion) out, J.R. Smith (not with team) out.
Rotation Outlook
Kings
With the season winding down, Dave Joerger continues to run the same starting lineup out on the court, although he's increased the load for rookie Marvin Bagley III. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft is averaging 19 points and 8.8 rebounds in 27.7 minutes per game since the All-Star break.
Buddy Hield continues to launch and hit 3-pointers at will. With his 265 3-point makes on the season, Hield is just 10 triples from matching Damian Lillard's NBA record of 599 3-point makes through the first three years of his career.
Rookie Harry Giles' season is over. The team officially shut down the 20-year-old with a thigh bruise.
Cavs
Seven games into the season, Larry Drew took over the tall task of handling a total rebuild in Cleveland. The veteran coach has dealt with injuries and the growing pains of a young roster in flux.
Cleveland struggles to score, averaging just 104.6 points per game. They also rank 23rd in points allowed, giving up 113.9 per game.
[RELATED: Kings set new goal of finishing season over .500, with playoff hopes over]
The Cavs struggle in almost every facet of the game. They rank 30th in blocks, 29th in steals and assists and 27th in rebounding.
