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Nuggets aim to rebound in home tilt with Kings

Feb 23, 2014 - 3:12 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Denver Nuggets fell back into the loss column their last time out and look to rebound Sunday versus the Sacramento Kings at the Pepsi Center.

The Nuggets are scheduled to play three straight and six of their next seven games in the Mile High City and dropped a 117-89 decision at Chicago on Friday. Randy Foye led the way with 23 points and Aaron Brooks added 17 off the bench in his Denver debut. Brooks came over via trade with Houston.

"I got a little bit more confident toward the end," Brooks said. "You can tell the team is a little rusty as far as me getting in there, but I think we'll figure it out."

Denver starters Anthony Randolph, Kenneth Faried, J.J. Hickson and Wilson Chandler combined for just 20 points.

Nuggets coach Brian Shaw wasn't pleased with the effort.

"As a coach and coaching staff, it's our job to try to find five players that want to go out and play and want to have some pride and not decide night-to- night that 'I'm going to play this game and I'm not going to play this game.' I felt like tonight we had some guys that just decided they weren't going to play tonight, they weren't going to put forth any effort to try to get the job done. It's unfortunate."

The Nuggets ended a five-game slide with a win at Milwaukee on Thursday, but fell back into the loss column. They are 14-12 at home this season.

Foye has been a bright spot lately for the floundering Nuggets and is averaging 16.1 points in his last 22 games. The Nuggets could use Ty Lawson, but he's still sidelined with a rib injury.

Sacramento has won two of three games since losing three straight and posted a 105-98 victory versus Boston Saturday night.

Rudy Gay led seven players in double digits with 22 points and Isaiah Thomas followed with 21 points and 12 assists. DeMarcus Cousins added 13 points and seven rebounds for Sacramento, which made 52.1 percent from the floor.

"We were poised down the stretch and that's really what sealed the game," Cousins said.

Ben McLemore had 11 points, while Jason Thompson, Derrick Williams and Carl Landry scored 10 apiece in the win.

The Kings have a 7-19 road record this season and are just 1-7 in the last eight games away from California's capital. They have split two matchups with Denver this season with both games played in Sacramento, but the Nuggets have prevailed in 15 of the last 20 encounters.

Sacramento has dropped nine in a row, 11 of 12 and 15 of its last 18 trips to the Pepsi Center.