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Kings welcome Howard, Magic to town

Jan 8, 2012 - 3:55 PM (Sports Network) - Keith Smart's debut as head coach of the Sacramento Kings started off in the right direction and he'll try to keep his players focused when they welcome the Orlando Magic to town this evening.

Smart took over for the fired Paul Westphal following a 2-5 start and possibly some confrontation with young forward/center DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins and Westphal allegedly bumped heads and the new regime appears to have Cousins' attention. In a 103-100 win versus Milwaukee on Thursday, Cousins posted 19 points and 15 rebounds and Marcus Thornton scored 27 points to help the Kings end a two-game slide and win for the third time this season.

"You just felt free out there," Cousins said after the Kings erased a 21-point halftime hole. "You didn't feel like you had like 30-pound bags on your back. You just felt free. It felt good to be out there."

Tyreke Evans posted 26 points and 10 rebounds in a season-high 41 minutes, while John Salmons had 13 points for Sacramento, which played its third straight game and will hit the road for five after tonight's tilt. J.J. Hickson had seven points and 11 rebounds in the win. Hickson has pulled down 10 or more rebounds in two of the last three games. The Kings rank first in the NBA in offensive rebounding with 15.0 boards a game and finished last season ranked second (13.1 orpg).

Chuck Hayes is expected to miss a few weeks with an injured shoulder, giving Smart more time to evaluate Hickson or Jason Thompson at the forward spot.

Orlando has lost two of three games since winning four in a row and will begin a four-game road trip tonight against the Kings, Blazers, Warriors and Knicks.

The Magic recently dropped a 97-83 decision to the Chicago Bulls on Friday, as reigning MVP Derrick Rose had 21 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Orlando was led by Dwight Howard's 28 points and 15 points and also got 17 points from Jason Richardson.

"Quite simply, we're not at that level, not close, and that's OK. I'm not saying that crying or complaining; that's just the way it is," Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy said of Chicago on the team's site. "You've got to face reality. We've got to put in the work to reach that level because right now we're not close to that level of play."

Ryan Anderson had only five points on 2-for-10 shooting and entered the game averaging 19.7 points per game. Magic guard Quentin Richardson is questionable for Sunday with a balky ankle. Orlando is 1-2 away from home this season.

The Magic and Kings split a pair of meetings last season, with each team prevailing as the guest, but Orlando has won eight of the previous 11 games between the two teams. The Magic, though, have lost 12 of 16 trips to California's capital.