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Bobcats hit the road to Sacramento

Jan 25, 2011 - 4:32 PM (Sports Network) - The Charlotte Bobcats will begin a six-game road trip tonight against the Sacramento Kings from Arco Arena.

Charlotte will also visit the Suns, Warriors, Clippers, Jazz and Pistons on the trek, and is only 5-14 away from home this season.

The Bobcats are coming off Saturday's 103-87 loss versus the Atlanta Hawks in which D.J. Augustin posted 20 points and seven assists. Boris Diaw added 12 points and seven rebounds, while Stephen Jackson finished with 10 points for Charlotte, which had won two straight and six of nine games.

"Their zone defense really threw us off. We weren't penetrating and we just passed the ball around the perimeter, so we have to really look at that," Bobcats head coach Paul Silas said.

Sacramento, meanwhile, ended a four-game slide and won for only the second time in nine tries with Monday's 96-81 victory at Portland behind 26 points, six rebounds and six assists from reigning Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans.

Carl Landry had 16 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Rookie DeMarcus Cousins and Beno Udrih had 14 points apiece for the Kings. Omri Casspi contributed 12 points in the win and is averaging 12.0 ppg and 9.0 rpg in the last three games.

"That's what it feels like when you get a lead and hold a lead," said Kings head coach Paul Westphal. "It was a great effort."

The Kings are in the midst of playing seven of eight games in California's capital and are 6-16 as the host this season. Cousins is averaging 15.0 ppg and 7.7 rpg in the last six games and Evans is averaging 23.6 ppg and 6.6 apg over the previous five.

Udrih is averaging 18.4 ppg in the last 10 and has scored in double-figures in nine of those outings.

Charlotte has swept the home-and-home series with Sacramento in each of the past two years and has won six of the last nine meetings between the teams.

Sacramento has dropped two in a row after winning four straight as the host in this series.