Pelicans-Kings Preview

(AP) -- It's not too early for the Sacramento Kings to think that this week represents a crucial stretch in their bid to earn a playoff spot for the first time in 10 seasons.

They start an important back-to-back set Wednesday night when they host a struggling New Orleans Pelicans team that may be without star forward Anthony Davis.

Sacramento (15-22) is in ninth place in the Western Conference standings, two games behind Utah. Both teams play Wednesday before they meet Thursday in Salt Lake City.

Coach George Karl emphasized Monday how important sweeping this set would be.

"I told the team today that every season comes down to a tiebreaker, every season comes down to a one game situation," Karl told the Kings' official website. "We can put a foot forward in that situation if we take care of business starting Wednesday."

The Kings' chances of winning will be greater if Davis misses a third straight game because of a bruised back. Davis, who leads the club with averages of 22.8 points and 10.8 rebounds, was injured when he dove over the first row of seats chasing a loose ball early in a 91-86 home loss to Indiana on Friday.

Coach Alvin Gentry said the club is being cautious and decided not to play him in Tuesday's 95-91 road loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. New Orleans (11-26) has now lost four straight and fell to 0-5 without Davis after getting outscored 10-2 in the final 2:14.

The coach didn't want to use the superstar's absence as an excuse.

"It's about playing hard and competing, that's what it's about," Gentry said. "If we play hard and compete and then we don't have enough talent, then we'll talk about that."

The absence of Davis would make Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins clearly the best player on the floor. Cousins leads all NBA players with an average of 32.4 points in 2016, shooting 51.4 percent in that five-game stretch in which he is also averaging 13.0 rebounds.

The sixth-year power forward is eager for his first taste of the postseason.

"It's been a better feeling, a better vibe," Cousins said. "It's the best vibe I've seen since I've been in Sacramento."

He had 33 points and 10 rebounds in Saturday's 128-116 home defeat to Golden State. Rudy Gay added 23 points and Rajon Rondo handed out 12 assists.

The Kings may get a major weapon back in Omri Casspi, who has returned to practice after missing the last four games with a sore upper back. Casspi is fourth in the league in 3-point shooting at 47.7 percent.

Former Sacramento guard Tyreke Evans is averaging 22.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists as a visitor to Sleep Train Arena, with the Pelicans going 3-1.

Evans scored 21 on Tuesday for New Orleans, which is shooting 39.1 percent in this losing streak. The Pelicans are 1-7 in the second of back-to-back games.

"You just have to decide if you are going to play hard every night and if we want to have a good team," Gentry said. "That's the bottom line. It doesn't involve soul-searching. It involves looking in the mirror and being able to say, `I gave the best effort that I could tonight.' That's not what we are getting."