In the third game of the Kings' season-opening four-game road trip, they will play in Orlando. And that couldn't be any more fitting.
While the team is in the land known best for Disneyworld, their home arena in Sacramento will be occupied -- hijacked, really -- by a Disney On Ice show that caused the Kings to start on the road for the fifth consecutive season. According to the Sacramento Bee, the entertainment show was booked before the NBA season was scheduled. It has made for a less-than-ideal setup considering the Kings' circumstances. With expectations already low, the Kings weren't looking for any additional changes at the outset.
"We played three on the road (to start) last season, four this year," second-year coach Reggie Theus said. "We going to play five (to start) next season?"
After the Kings fell to Minnesota Wednesday night at the Target Center, they play at Miami Friday (3-17 road record versus the Heat in Sacramento era), followed by games at Orlando (7-13 road record versus Magic) and Philadelphia (9-14 road record versus 76ers). The Kings started 0-3 on the road in Theus' first campaign.
TIMBERWOLVES 98, KINGS 96: If the Kings were supposed to have one constant this season, it was Kevin Martin's scoring. But the shooting guard's atrocious 5-of-19 outing at Minnesota Wednesday spoiled an otherwise-decent debut for his supporting cast. Second-year center Spencer Hawes had 14 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks while rookie forward Jason Thompson had 18 points and 10 rebounds.
