After a 102-99 win over the Toronto Raptors Sunday night, the Sacramento Kings take on the Oklahoma City Thunder for another tough game at home on Wednesday night.  Oklahoma City lost their game the night before against the Los Angeles Lakers 111-109.

The Thunder have struggled recently, going 4-6 over their last ten games and losing their last two, but with Russell Westbrook and plenty of other talented players on the roster, Sacramento should expect to have their hands full.

Here are some notes heading into the game:

• There has been quite a bit of talk surrounding Sacramento’s inability to score without DeMarcus Cousins or Rudy Gay on the floor, and the Thunder seem to have the same issue with Russell Westbrook.  Their Offensive Rating goes from 108.9 to 95.3 when he leaves the game according to Basketball Reference, so this matchup may come down to which bench can be more effective.
• Rudy Gay has had multiple tough assignments on this home stand, and Andre Roberson should be no different. Roberson is one of the best wing defenders in the league, so Sacramento will need to find ways to get contributions from the bench and the rest of the starting lineup.

A win tonight would even up the team’s record on the home stand at 2-2, and would allow them to finish the five game span with a winning record.  Considering how difficult the schedule has been to this point, a 5-4 record at home and a 7-9 record overall would be a decent start to the season, and would put the team in a relatively good position to compete for a postseason spot. With that said, a win is certainly not guaranteed, so the Kings will need to maintain their focus and energy against the fairly young and talented Oklahoma City Thunder.