Warriors look to avenge early-season loss to Kings

The Warriors can’t claim to be kings of the region just yet. To be royalty, they must beat the Kings. Sacramento got the best of the Warriors in the first week of the season, delivering a 94-92 loss on Nov. 5. It was only the fourth time since 1980 that both teams were limited to less than 95 points.

In that game, Sacramento’s young center DeMarcus Cousins scored 23 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. Then, the slow feet of Andrew Bogut, who was experimenting on a surgically repaired ankle, guarded him. Tonight, Warriors rookie Festus Ezeli will match up against the bruising Cousins.

Since the beginning of January, Cousins has averaged 22.5 points and 15.8 rebounds in five games against the Warriors.

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Carl Landry will follow his 16-point, nine-rebound Tuesday night performance against his former team, the Hornets, with a matchup against another former team. The Warriors are 12-4 when Landry scores in double-figures.

“Let’s do it,” said Landry, who played a season-and-a-half with the Kings. “It’s going to be a dog fight, but at the same time those guys in the locker room are hungry and we know what they did to us the first time around. We’ve got to go get one.”

With a win in Sacramento, the Warriors would improve to 18-8 and go 10 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2007-08 season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.