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Nets-Kings Preview

Nov 26, 2009 - 6:08 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

New Jersey (0-15) at Sacramento (6-8), 10:00 p.m. EDT

The Sacramento Kings were happy to snap their longest losing streak of the season. The New Jersey Nets would like to know how that feels.

The Kings look to build on their first victory in nearly two weeks Friday night when they host a winless Nets team trying to avoid matching the franchise's longest slide.

After winning four straight from Nov. 7-13, Sacramento (6-8) dropped four in a row prior to Wednesday's 111-97 victory over the New York Knicks.

"Well that's the way to bounce back from a disappointing game," coach Paul Westphal said of Monday's 116-105 loss at Memphis. "I just thought that we got some great professional performances from pretty much everybody that played."

Making his seventh career start Wednesday, second-year forward Donte Greene hit a career-high six 3s and matched a personal best with 24 points. He also set career highs with six blocks and five assists.

"I hope this game showed a lot of Syracuse fans why I left early," said Greene, who spent one season in college. "This was my dream, playing in the NBA. But I caught heck for leaving college early."

Rookie guard Tyreke Evans spent one season in college at Memphis, but it's hard to question his decision to leave early. He is averaging 19.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists. Evans fell one point shy Wednesday of scoring 20 in eight consecutive games.

"I knew I had 19 points and was trying to do everything I could to get a triple-double," said Evans, who had seven assists and a season-high 11 rebounds.

The Kings should have a good opportunity to win consecutive home games when they face the Nets, who fell to 0-15 with Wednesday's 93-83 loss at Portland.

"You bust out a speech at 0-5. You use different quotes from different champions and leaders at 0-10," guard Rafer Alston said. "But at this point it's all inside of you as individuals. You've got to find something inside of you to leave on the floor."

New Jersey is two losses shy of tying the NBA's worst start, held by the 1988-89 expansion Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Clippers in 1998-99.

If the Nets lose Friday, they will match the franchise-record slide set during the 1977-78 season.

"You walk into the locker room and it's like a morgue," said coach Lawrence Frank, whose team is scoring an NBA-worst 84.9 points per game. "Guys are laying it all out there. It's disheartening to lose, but you keep putting efforts like this together and we'll break through."

New Jersey snapped a nine-game losing streak at Sacramento last season, winning 116-114 in overtime Nov. 26, 2008, on a jumper from Devin Harris with 12 seconds left.

In his third game back Wednesday after missing 10 with a groin injury, Harris had six points and three assists off the bench.

Nets center Brook Lopez scored a career-high 32 and posted his sixth double-double with 14 boards. Lopez had 20 points, eight rebounds and three blocks last season in Sacramento.

The Nets swept the season series against the Kings in 2008-09 for the first time in 11 years.