Scouting Report
Two teams struggling to find victories meet for the third time this season tonight at 9 PM. Sacramento enters the game with a 6-18 record and fifth in the Pacific Division. The Kings allowed 43 first quarter points in a 114-90 loss to New York on Saturday night. Reggie Theus has been fired according to NBA sources as Sacramento ranks 28th in points allowed and opposing team field goal percentage. The Kings named assistant coach Kenny Natt to interim coach. Minnesota opened the season with a thrilling 98-96 victory over the Kings on October 29. Kevin Love scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds in his NBA debut to help the Wolves capture their first win of the year. For Sacramento, John Salmons led all scorers with 24 points and Kevin Martin chipped in 17. The Kings evened the series at one-a-piece on November 7 with a 121-109 win at Arco Arena. Martin scored 26 points and Brad Miller returned to the lineup with Sacramento shooting 54.8 percent from the field in the victory. Love started his first game in the NBA and finished with 20 points and eight rebounds. Both teams are desperately in search of a win as the Kings have lost 12 of their last 14 and the Wolves have lost nine straight games.

Sacramento is missing its key scorer and the result is a 3-11 record without Martin in the lineup. The shooting guard scored a combined 43 points in the two games against Minnesota. At this point, there is no timetable for a return as Martin deals with a left ankle injury. The Kings are not an effective offensive team without Martin and his 2007 averages of 23.7 points and 4.5 rebounds. Salmons has stepped up to lead Sacramento in scoring at 19.4 points per game with 47 points against the Wolves this year. He is the best 3-point shooter for the Kings by hitting 39 percent of his shots behind the arc. Randy Foye and Mike Miller should have the advantage in the backcourt with the injury to Martin. Beno Udrih starts at point guard and lacks the strength to guard Foye off the dribble. Minnesota needs heavy production from the guards tonight in order to snap the losing skid.

Al Jefferson only shot 8-for-24 last night in the loss to the Lakers. The contest against Sacramento should allow Jefferson more room in the paint to maneuver and dominate in the post. Miller is back for the Kings but his contributions consist of rebounding and defense. He will not light up the box score and Jefferson will be the best player on the court tonight. Love can build on his success against the Kings. The rookie combined for 32 points and 17 boards in the two games and is averaging 12 rebounds in his last five games. Sacramento is similar to Minnesota in the sense they are trying to develop rookie Jason Thompson. The power forward out of Rider averages just under ten points and 6.9 rebounds a game. In the season opener, Thompson scored 18 points in the loss. On paper, the Wolves are the better team when comparing the frontcourt. The team defense will need to improve for Minnesota as the squad allowed Sacramento to shoot 54.8 percent from the field on November 7.

A key to victory tonight for the Wolves is to improve their shooting percentage from the field. Last night, the team shot 36.1 percent and this has been a consistent problem during the nine-game losing streak. The Kings are 2-14 when allowing 100 points or more and 0-9 when allowing the opponent to shoot 50 percent. A win tonight is crucial for the Wolves with games against Cleveland, Houston, and San Antonio in the next week.

Injury Report:
Martin continues to miss time with an injured ankle. The Kings are 3-11 without Martin in the lineup and there is no timetable for his return.

Projected Starters
Sacramento
Beno Udrih, PG
John Salmons, SG
Francisco Garcia, SF
Spencer Hawes, PF
Brad Miller, C

Minnesota
Randy Foye, PG
Mike Miller, SG
Ryan Gomes, SF
Craig Smith, PF
Al Jefferson, C