OAKLAND -- Welcome to the stretch run. For the Golden State Warriors, this is nothing new. But for the Sacramento Kings, this is the first time in more than a decade that they walk into the post All-Star break schedule over the .500 mark and with a fighting chance at the postseason.
Sacramento has a daunting schedule ahead of them. Including their loss to the Denver Nuggets last week, they'll play the top three teams in the Western Conference and the best the East has to offer over a five-game stretch.
They've had a day or two of practice coming out of the break, but they are still working to integrate three new faces into their system after a flurry of moves at the deadline.
The Warriors are coming off a loss against Portland, but they are 16-2 over their last 18 games and look primed for another deep playoff run. Three of their five starters played in the All-Star Game over the weekend, but they should be well rested heading into the final 25 games.
Golden State is a heavy favorite coming into the game and own a 3-0 record against the Kings this season. All three games have been highly competitive with the Warriors winning by a combined 10 points.
Kings Pregame Live on NBC Sports California begins at 7:00 p.m., with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Warriors coverage begins at 6:30 on NBC Sports Bay Area. All coverage can be seen on the MyTeams by NBC Sports app.
Following the game, the Kings head to Oklahoma City where they'll continue their road trip against the Thunder. They'll make a stop in Minnesota to face the Timberwolves before returning home to host the Milwaukee Bucks next Wednesday.
NBA
The Warriors get a visit from the Houston Rockets on Saturday before hitting the road for a four-game trip beginning Monday in Charlotte.
Line
Warriors by 12.5
Projected Lineups
Kings
PG De’Aaron Fox
SG Buddy Hield
SF Harrison Barnes
PF Nemanja Bjelica
C Willie Cauley-Stein
Warriors
PG Stephen Curry
SG Klay Thompson
SF Kevin Durant
PF Draymond Green
C DeMarcus Cousins
Injury Report
Kings
No injuries to report.
Warriors
C Damian Jones (pectoral) out, SF Jacob Evans (pelvis) out.
Rotation Outlook
Kings
Coach Dave Joerger has his work cut out for him. He'll run his young team up against a squad of All-Stars, including former Kings big man, DeMarcus Cousins, which Sacramento has yet to see this season.
[RELATED: How Vlade Divac has Kings thriving two years after DeMarcus Cousins trade]
With their added depth at the deadline, the Kings are better suited to face off with Golden State. Barnes is a better matchup against Durant and Alec Burks gives Sacramento a new wrinkle in the backcourt.
The Kings inked veteran Corey Brewer to a second 10-day contract earlier in the week. He's another long, athletic defender for Joerger to throw at the likes of Thompson, Durant and Andre Iguodala.
Rookie Marvin Bagley played extremely well in his first game against the Warriors, finishing the evening with 20 points and 17 rebounds. He barely missed a tip-in in the final seconds that would have given the Kings a late lead and a possible victory.
Bagley injured his left knee early in the next matchup with Golden State and missed the third game entirely due to the same injury. He's healthy and ready to compete Thursday evening at Oracle.
Warriors
Steve Kerr has successfully integrated a fifth All-Star level player into his rotation with the addition of Cousins. The Warriors are 10-1 since the 6-foot-11 center returned to action from an Achilles tendon injury.
Golden State is a scoring juggernaut. They lead the league in points per game and they play at the NBA's tenth fastest pace. The Warriors rank third in 3-point percentage and first in both blocks and assists.
The last time these two teams faced off, they combined to hit a then NBA record 41 3-pointers in the game.
Sacramento will look to push the tempo and beat the Warriors in transition. Golden State will respond by hurling 3-pointers from all over the court.