The Kings finally cooled on Sunday when losing to the Blazers, but it's still been a big homestand for Sacto, with four straight double-digit wins prior. Doug Christie finally has a nearly-full contingent with the recent return to active duty of Domantas Sabonis, who should gradually be increasing the 20 or so minutes he has received in his first games back to action, and Russell Westbrook has been playing out of memory the past week, leading the Kings in scoring their past two games. Note also that Sacto won 127-111 at Miami back on December 6 when Zach LaVine scored 42, and the Heat enter off of a heavy loss on Monday vs. the Warriors, and just 2-5 their last seven. Play Kings

With the exception of a close win over the T-wolves last week when Kevin Durant scored 39, January has been a rather flat month for the Rockets, whose only spread cover in the last nine games was that win over Minnesota (barely so, winning by five while laying four points). Note the Spurs didn't have much trouble in their first meeting with Houston back on November 7 in a 121-110 cruise at home when all starters scored 14 or more. San Antonio also enters Toyota Center tonight after three straight wins (all at home), avenging a recent loss to the hot T-wolves along the way, and Wemby off 33 points vs. the Jazz Monday afternoon. Play Spurs

It looks like Kawhi Leonard remains out for the remainder of this Clippers road trip as he rests his knee, but so far so good for LA, which has won at Toronto and Washington (James Harden scoring 36 on Monday vs. the Wiz) minus Kawhi. That's stretched the Clip win streak to six and 13 in 15 as Ty Lue's bunch woke up this morning up to the 10th seed in the West and for the moment into the play-in field. Meanwhile Bulls form has been back-and-forth for several weeks as key cog Josh Giddey (again ? for tonight; hamstring) hasn't played in three weeks, and Chicago enters Tuesday just 5-7 across its last 12 games. Play Clippers.

Quick rematch here on MLK Day from last Wednesday's 119-105 Clippers cruise in Inglewood. There's one significant difference, as Kawhi Leonard, who poured in 33 points in last week's clash at the Intuit Dome, is slated to sit out one more game on this LA road trip to rest his knees, but the Clippers are so rampant right now that they won without Kawhi in OT at Toronto on Friday when James Harden scored 31, making it five wins on the spin and 12 of 14 for Ty Lue's bunch. Meanwhile, the Wiz limps back to Cap One after an 0-4 road trip and with a six-game losing streak, within single-digits just once, and Trae Young's Washington debut still weeks away. Play Clippers

The Blazers hit Golden 1 Center after drubbing the Luka-less Lakers on Saturday when Portland hit 52% from the floor and Shaeden Sharpe paced the attack with 25 points. That was win seven in nine for the Blazers and sets up a second night of back-to-back scenario, though Portland has won five of seven in the quick turnarounds this season. Note explosive Dani Avidja (back) has missed the past week and is iffy tonight. A bit more reason to ride Sacto now that Domantas Sabonis has returned to active duty, scoring 13 in 21 minutes during his return game Friday vs. Washington, and this has been some 4-0 homestand for the Kings, all double-digit wins, victims including the Rockets, Knicks, and Lakers! Play Kings

The league is beginning to realize the Hornets are more than a pest, as the Lakers found out on Thursday when getting KO'd 135-117 by a Charlotte haymaker in LA. Guard the perimeter or risk the consequences vs. Charlotte, which burned the Lakers for 20 triples on Thursday. The emergence of Duke rookie wing Kon Knueppel, along with LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, gives the Hornets three likely 20+-point scorers every night. Note the Warriors needed to hit 55% from the floor to survive a shootout at the Hornet's Nest on New Year's Eve, when Golden State caught Charlotte a bit shorthanded (no Bridges in that game), and the Warriors might need to shoot as well to post a similar margin tonight. Play Hornets

The Wizards need to wait a bit longer for their dividend of the recent trade with the Hawks as Trae Young's quad injury likely keeps him out until at least the All-Star break. With no Trae and CJ McCollum now in ATL, Washington has been a loser in four straight and not closer than 14 points in any of those games. Defense still remains an issue for Brain Keefe's Wiz, surrendering almost 124 ppg across the recent skid. Meanwhile the Kings are playing their best ball of the year in the current three-game win streak that includes double-digit wins at Golden 1 vs. three playoff-bound teams (Rockets, Lakers, and Knicks) with vet DeMar DeRozan on fire, leading Sacto scoring in five straight games. Play Kings

In order to make this more of a fair fight tonight, maybe the Warriors should have to play without Steph Curry. Unfortunately for the Knicks, Steph is available this evening for Steve Kerr. The problem for Mike Brown tonight is no Jalen Brunson, who figures to miss some time after rolling an ankle last night at Sacramento. But the Knicks were playing poorly regardless last night while losing at Golden 1 Center, as has been mostly the case since winning the NBA Cup, and frontliner Mitchell Robinson is also sidelined. Though not always trustworthy, Golden State has won three of four, and the Dubs are mostly healthy. Also expect Steph to be very focused tonight after an uncommon 7-point effort vs. the Blazers. Play Warriors

The Magic and Griz take their act overseas to Berlin for a pair of games, with Orlando perhaps having a slight "home edge" with natives Franz and Mo Wagner recently activated (though how much higher-scoring Franz, last active December 7, contributes remains to be seen). Crowd support alone won't carry the Magic, though there is encouragement that the late spurt which saw off the Pels on Monday might carry over to Germany after Orlando saw three (Paolo Banchero, Anthony Black, Desmond Bane) all score 23 or more vs. the Wiz. Meanwhile, no Ja Morant (calf) for Memphis, which might not be a negative, though the Griz have lost 6 of 8. Play Magic (at Berlin).

As usual, Kawhi Leonard's name appeared on the injury report for the Clippers (what else is new?). The same ankle injury, however, that caused his name to appear on the report the past couple of games hasn't kept him out of the lineup, and consensus opinion is that it won't tonight, either. Which would be great for the Clips, as Kawhi has tapped an especially rich vein of form, off of a 35-point showcase vs. the Hornets on Monday night, a tenth win in twelve games for surging LA. Meanwhile the Wiz keeps spinning its wheels, three losses in a row all by 19 points or more, and Trae Young (quad) yet to suit since the trade that sent CJ McCollum to Atlanta. Play Clips

Maybe a bit reluctant here to trust the Kings, though in the past week, Sacto has looked downright formidable. It can be argued that the last two games, decisive wins over the Rockets and Lakers at Golden 1, have been among Sacto's best of the season. Perhaps with the trade deadline looming, it's a showcase for sorts like Zach LaVine, though vet DeMar DeRozan has been in very good form, too, and scored 32 in the cruise past the Lake Show. Meanwhile the Knicks are showing signs of snapping out of their post NBA Cup-funk, having won and covered two of three, but Mike Brown's team is only 8-10 on the road, and extending this margin into double digits might be a chore. Play Kings.

Too soon to say this is a must-win for OKC, considering its still-sizable lead in the Western Conference and the fact the playoffs are more than three months away. Tonight would be a good time, however, to respond to the Spurs, who might be thinking they have the Thunder's number after three December wins over OKC. The NBA Cup win in Vegas seemed to take some of the wind out of the Thunder's sails, but, conversely, the Spurs have sputtered since the Christmas win over the champs, winning just 4 of 9 thereafter. Roundly outplayed by De'Aaron Fox in the Xmas game, tonight should see a special effort from SGA (and the Thunder) in payback mode. Play Thunder

Far from dropping deep into the West play-in field with Nikola Jokic out, the Nuggets have actually gone a very respectable 4-3 minus the Joker (knee), who likely remains sidelined thru the rest of the month. In his absence, while Jamal Murray logs extra minutes that could prove a concern later this season, the silver lining in the clouds has been the play of Peyton Watson, who has picked up the slack and scoring over 23 pg in the Joker's absence. Helping at both ends of the court, Watson's ascent should continue to prove a plus whenever Jokic returns. Meanwhile, it's business as usual for the Pels, who have lost ten of the last eleven in their latest slump. Play Nuggets.

The aptly-named Suns have a case as the hottest NBA team, having won nine of their last eleven outright, plus six straight, and twelve of thirteen, against the spread. The victim's list for this recent Phoenix surge includes heavyweight sides like the Knicks, Rockets, and Thunder, so it's not as if the Suns have been taking the easy road. It's not just Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks carrying the load, either; Royce O'Neale's 19 points led Phoenix's very-balanced attack in Sunday 112-93 romp past the Wizards. Meanwhile, Miami is in a difficult stretch, losing three straight and not within single-digits in any of them, and top scorer Norman Powell's status is iffy for tonight because of back issues. Play Suns.

No one can say the Blazers have taken the easy way to winning six straight and seven of eight, as the recent victim list the past two weeks includes the Celtics, Spurs, and Rockets (twice in the case of Houston). Even minus a couple of key cogs (Jerami Grant a recent absentee; Jrue Holiday out since mid-November), Portland has pulled itself into playoff contention thanks to Dani Avidja, who continues to make a case for All-Star inclusion and poured in 41 points vs. Houston last Wednesday, and Toumani Camara, who scored a team-high 25 in the Friday win vs.. the Rockets. As for the Knicks, since winning the NBA Cup in mid-December, they've been pointspread poison, covering just 2 of 13 tries. Play Blazers