Following an embarrassing loss on their homecourt on Sunday afternoon, the Sacramento Kings traveled to Indiana where they'll face the new look Pacers on Halloween night.
With George Hill and Zach Randolph resting, Washington jumped all over the Kings from the opening tip. The young core never responded, falling 110-83 to a quality Eastern Conference opponent. They'll need a better effort from everyone involved if they hope to snap their four-game losing streak.
Indiana shocked the Spurs on Sunday, coming away with a 97-94 win at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Six Pacers average double-figure scoring early in the season, including former Kings guard Darren Collison who is posting 14.3 points and eight assists per game as Indiana's starting point guard.
BETTING LINE
Pacers by 5
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Buddy Hield vs. Victor Oladipo -- Hield is struggling with his shot early in the season, knocking down just 37 percent from the field and 25 percent from long range. He'll need to find his offensive game if he hopes to keep up with the Pacers leading scorer. Oladipo is proving to be much more than just a consolation prize in the Paul George trade for Indiana. The 25-year-old shooting guard is off to a blistering start to the season, posting 25.5 points per game on 46.9 percent shooting from long range.
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WHERE THEY STAND
Kings: 1-5, fifth place in Pacific
Pacers: 3-3, third place in Central
INJURY REPORT
Kings: SG/SF Temple (rest) out, PF Zach Randolph (sore left foot) probable, PF Harry Giles (bilateral knee rehab) out.
Pacers: F/C Myles Turner (concussion) out, PF Domantas Sabonis (illness) questionable, SF Glen Robinson III (ankle) out.
THREE THINGS TO WATCH
SEARCHING FOR OFFENSE -- Sacramento has been hit and miss on the offensive end this season. They've topped a 100 points three times, but they've also dropped in 93, 79 and 83 point performances. Finding consistency with a young roster isn't easy. The Kings need to push the tempo and get into their offense early. Sacramento is currently 28th in the league in scoring at 96 points per game and they rank 27th in offensive rating at 100.4.
FIGHTING THROUGH ADVERSITY -- De'Aaron Fox struggled for one of the first time this season, posting just two points on 1-of-8 shooting in his first NBA start. He wasn't the only young player to come out cold in the Kings' 27-point blowout loss to the Wizards. Most of the team came away with an ugly stat line. This is first time many of these players have lost five out of six games in their basketball careers. You either fight through it or allow losing to become the norm.
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MALACHI -- Malachi Richardson has sat quietly on the bench in three of the Kings' for six games. It appears the second-year wing is going to get a chance to show what he can do as a reserve over the next few games. When his shot is falling, you can see the confidence grow in the 21-year-old wing. When he goes cold or is left out of the offense, he needs to find ways to stay on the court with his defense and rebounding.
SERIES HISTORY
The Pacers swept the Kings 2-0 last season, including an overtime win in Indiana late in January. Indiana holds a 46-39 lead over the Kings all-time and a 35-26 advantage during the Sacramento-era.
