(SportsNetwork.com) - The Washington Wizards will resume a four-game western trek Sunday against the Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena.
The Wizards started the junket with a win against the Utah Jazz, but fell back into the loss column courtesy of Friday's 113-99 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center.
Los Angeles had a 35-21 lead after 12 minutes and scored 66 points in the first half. The Wizards battled back over the last two quarters, but the Clippers were too much and shot 52.3 percent from the field. Chris Paul had 30 points and 15 assists, while J.J. Redick scored 26 points.
"We let them get too comfortable right away," said Wizards coach Randy Wittman. "It was an uphill battle the rest of the game. Give them credit."
John Wall led the Wizards with 19 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, and Bradley Beal ended with 18 points. Nene (14), Marcin Gortat (12), Drew Gooden (10) and Kevin Seraphin (10) rounded out the double-digit scorers for the Wizards, who made 43 percent of their shots and were outrebounded, 46-36.
Washington, which was riding a five-game winning streak, had only nine turnovers and scored 21 points off LA's 16.
The Wizards will wrap up the trek Monday at Golden State and are 15-19 away from the nation's capital. They are fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, one game behind the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls.
Sacramento continues its five-game homestand Sunday and dropped the first two tests versus the Atlanta Hawks and Clippers. The Kings, though, bounced back with Friday's 101-91 victory over the Charlotte Hornets and were guided by Rudy Gay's 33 points on 11-of-20 shooting.
Derrick Williams and Omri Casspi scored 13 and 10 points, respectively, for the Kings, who halted a four-game slide and won for just the second time in the past 10 contests.
"We're getting used to the up tempo style," said veteran Kings guard Andre Miller, who totaled seven points and seven assists off the bench.
Kings All-Star forward DeMarcus Cousins was sidelined for a second straight game due to a calf injury and is listed as questionable versus the Wizards. Cousins has 41 double-doubles this season and seven in the last nine games.
Sacramento is 3-13 in the 16 games Cousins has missed this season.
The Kings are 5-11 since George Karl took over as coach during All-Star weekend and have scored 100-plus points in nine of the previous 11 games. Gay is averaging 27.9 ppg in his last nine contests.
Philadelphia will visit the Kings on Tuesday. The Kings have a 14-21 mark at home and recently lost to Washington, 113-97, on March 14 in DC. Wall tallied 31 points and 12 assists, while Cousins countered with 30 points.
Sacramento has won four of the last six meetings with Washington and four straight matchups in California's capital.
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