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Natt, Kings look for second straight win

Dec 16, 2008 - 2:46 PM Sacramento (7-18) at Portland (15-10), 10:00 pm EST

PORTLAND, Oregon (Ticker) -- The Sacramento Kings hope that Day Two of the Kenny Natt era goes as well as the first one did.

The Kings fired second-year head coach Reggie Theus on Monday and promoted Natt, a longtime assistant around the league. The Kings won his debut at the helm, 118-103 over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Their reward for that win is a four-game road trip, beginning Tuesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Al Jefferson had a pretty typical night Monday, registering 22 points and seven boards, while Rashad McCants (21 points) and rookie Kevin Love (15 rebounds) provided a spark off the bench en route to a lopsided victory.

Though the Kings have managed just seven victories, two of them came on the back end of a back-to-back - including one over the New Orleans Hornets.

They will face a talented Portland squad that is trying to get back on track following a disappointing week. The Blazers have dropped three straight, including Friday night's home loss to the lowly Los Angeles Clippers. Still, despite the ups and downs, third-year guard Brandon Roy has continued his emergence as one of the game's brightest stars.

Roy is averaging a team-best 22.0 points and has carried the team during its recent struggles, averaging 33.7 points over the last three games.