Live from the locker room: Kings vs. Mavericks

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Here is the latest news live from Sleep Train Arena:

  • The Sacramento Kings (17-30) desperately need to get something going before this season completely slips away.  Tonight they get a short-handed Dallas Mavericks (33-18) team playing on the second night of a back-to-back.  “We’ve had stretches for six to eight minutes in games that cost us the game,” coach Tyrone Corbin said during pregame.  “So we need 48-minute games for us to have a chance to be effective. So everybody that gets on the floor, all the guys on the bench have to get ready to come off, and play and understand what’s going to give us a chance to win against this team tonight.”
  • Dallas is missing both Dirk Nowitzki (rest) and Rajon Rondo (left orbital fracture).  This is only the fourth game the 36-year-old Nowitzki has missed this season and if he had his way, he would have played tonight.  “It’s the high frequency of games and it’s a long season,” coach Rick Carlisle said.
  • DeMarcus Cousins has taken a beating in the media for his lackluster defensive play against Mareese Speights in Tuesday’s loss to the Warriors.  On the play in question, Cousins stood on the left elbow with his hands on his knees while Speights raced straight to the basket for an ally-oop dunk from guard Stephen Curry.  According to Corbin, it was nothing more than a misunderstanding.  “It was a miscommunication,” Corbin said.  “He thought it was our ball. So it was just a mistake and came out of a timeout. It was a miscommunication.”
  • NBA legend Bill Russell is in attendance tonight, as are former Kings greats Mitch Richmond and Brian Grant.
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