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- The Hornets’ Anthony Davis will start tonight against the Sacramento Kings after being held out of most of the second half of New Orleans’ Friday night loss to Dallas with a sprained right knee. “He’s OK,” Hornets coach Monty Williams said. “He looked good in practice yesterday. I was a bit cautious with him. Didn’t want to put him back in there. I talked to the doctors afterwards and they said it was a good idea.”
- Williams said two of the keys to playing the Kings will be to keep turnovers down and to keep Sacramento’s transition ability to a minimum. The Hornets had only 12 turnovers in its most recent game against Dallas, but 10 came in the second half in a close game.
- Expected Hornets starters: (F) Al-Farouq Aminu; (F) Anthony Davis; (C) Robin Lopez; (G) Eric Gordon; (G) Greivis Vasquez
- Sacramento guard Marcus Thornton has gone from being a starter to being a key role player off the bench, a move coach Keith Smart said came about because the team needed some firepower with the reserves. “Look at our bench, we didn’t have anyone on the bench that could come and provide that,” Smart said. “It’s been a little bit difficult for him.”
- Two of Sacramento’s three players acquired in a trade with Houston are in New Orleans and could play – forward Patrick Patterson and guard Toney Douglas Center Cole Aldrich is not with the team, though, as he hasn’t fully passed his physical. “I gave them a mini play sheet of some things that I’ll call when they’re in the game,” Smart said. “Outside of that, just play basketball.”
- Expected Kings starters: (F) John Salmons; (F) Jason Thompson; (C) DeMarcus Cousins; (G) Tyreke Evans; (G) Isaiah Thomas
-Bradley Handwerger
