The Washington Wizards now head to Downtown Sacramento for a Friday night contest. Here's what to look forward to on the Kings' side.
The Sacramento Kings pressed down on the beam three straight times for the first time this season. All to commemorate three stunning upsets.
First came the Houston Rockets, then the rival Los Angeles Lakers. Even the Eastern Conference's second best team the New York Knicks watched the Sacramento sky light up as they left the arena tasting defeat.
All three came in as teams either nearly 10 games above .500 or simply looking like an early playoff contender. Now Sacramento gets a team with less victories than the Kings heading into this Friday contest.
What are some of the elements to look forward to here for this 7 p.m. PT showdown? Here are the trio of things to watch.
1 -- A 'Precious' Follow up
Precious Achiuwa played inspired basketball with his former team in town. He even dealt with Knicks members in his group text blowing his phone up before the game.
Achiuwa did the honors of lighting the beam -- after dropping 20 points and grabbing 14 rebounds for a new career-high.
Sacramento fans will wonder if Achiuwa carries that newfound momentum into this contest against one of the east's worst teams. The Kings' chances of winning four straight increases if Achiuwa pulls off a repeat of his epic Wednesday night outing.
2 -- A Familiar Face Gets Re-inserted
Dennis Schroeder was out during the winning streak due to his three-game suspension by the league.
That suspension lifts ahead of Friday's game. But how much will head coach Doug Christie play his reserve?
Schroeder is a valuable shooter off the bench when called upon. He's capable of providing a spark.
Only difference is he'll need to see what kind of minutes he gets by getting reinserted into the lineup. Malik Monk continues to earn extensive minutes even amid his trade rumors.
3 -- Veteran Consistency
This is where we bring up this trio: Russell Westbrook, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan.
All three continue to deliver production...and avoid father time as best as possible. The latter dropped 27 on the Knicks to lead the way.
LaVine, however, is putting together a strong January for the Kings including hitting 25 against New York.
The 37-year-old Westbrook, meanwhile, brings this personal streak in tow: 13 straight games of scoring past double digits on the floor. He also has 10 double-doubles on the season and four triple-doubles. Sacramento performs so much better when all three post-30 veterans are on their game.
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