Ideen & Fragen » heading into Tuesday nights home game

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - It looked as if everything was coming together for the Sacramento Kings.DeMarcus Cousins was keeping his cool while putting up All-Star numbers. Second-year coach Michael Malone had his team playing defence, and the Kings were consistently beating Western Conference contenders.One illness ended all that.Cousins came down with viral meningitis more than two weeks ago, and neither the franchise centre nor the Kings (11-13) have recovered yet. Sacramento has gone just 2-7 without Cousins — who remains out indefinitely — heading into Tuesday nights home game against Oklahoma City, which had its own health-related problems while NBA MVP Kevin Durant and co-star Russell Westbrook were out with injuries.Malone was fired late Sunday night and assistant Tyrone Corbin was promoted to interim coach. A person with knowledge of the moves confirmed the change on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced it yet.While season-long goals cant be accomplished before Christmas, the Kings and Thunder know they can sure be wrecked.How teams handle such critical times can go a long way in determining their season. That was basically the message Malone gave to his players last week.I told our guys, We have no idea when DeMarcus is coming back. So we need everybody to man up and play to the best of your ability, Malone said before his dismissal was announced.Houston has been able to manage injuries better than any team in the league.Dwight Howard missed 11 straight games with a strained right knee before returning Saturday against Denver. The Rockets (18-5) went 8-3 without the All-Star centre.The Thunder thought they could limit the damage when Durant and Westbrook went down. Instead, they started 3-12 and are trying to make the long climb back up the crowded West standings.Westbrook returned Nov. 28 after sitting out 13 games with a broken bone in his right hand. Durant came back Dec. 2 after missing the teams first 17 games with a fractured right foot.Both believe there is enough time left to get the Thunder back in a strong playoff position.___Here are some other things to look for around the NBA this week:WINNING WARRIORS: The Golden State Warriors have won a franchise-record 16 straight games, which is almost halfway to the NBA record of 33 in row set by the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1971-72 season. The Warriors play at Memphis on Tuesday and host Oklahoma City on Thursday.LANCE VS. LEBRON: Lance Stephenson and LeBron James will meet for the first time since last seasons memorable run-in during the Eastern Conference finals between Indiana and Miami, when Stephenson was caught by television cameras blowing into James ear. Both are with new teams now, but they still figure to match up against each other when Stephensons Hornets visit James and the Cavaliers on Monday night.BIGGEST LOSERS: Philadelphia gained national attention by starting 0-17 and coming within one loss of tying the record for worst start to a season. But the Sixers have hardly been the only big losers this season. Detroits 13-game losing streak ended with a win at Phoenix on Friday. Charlotte had a 10-game losing streak. Utah had a nine-game skid. The New York Knicks have put together losing streaks of 10 and seven in a row already.GARDEN SPOILER: As if things couldnt get any worse for the Knicks, its beginning to look like a very real possibility that Golden States Steve Kerr — who spurned an offer from mentor Phil Jackson to coach in New York over the summer — could coach the Western Conference in the All-Star game at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 15. The coaches of the teams with the best record in each conference will head the All-Star teams, so long as they didnt coach last years game. The Warriors entered Monday night with an NBA-best 21-2 record.BIG THREE: San Antonio beat the Knicks 109-95 on Wednesday without Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. The Spurs are just 5-10 in games the Big Three sit out since they became teammates in 2002.___STAT LINE OF THE WEEK: Blake Griffin scored 45 points, including a 3-pointer as time expired, to lift the Los Angeles Clippers to a 121-120 overtime win against Phoenix last Monday night. He joined Dwyane Wade and Gilbert Arenas as the only players to score at least 45 points and hit a buzzer-beater in the same game in the last 10 seasons.___AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report.___Antonio Gonzalez can be reached at: www.twitter.com/agonzalezAP Bill Ranford Jersey . Hazard lasted just 18 minutes in Tuesdays contest before being substituted with the calf problem, and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes he will be without his star winger for at least the next two weeks. Jean-Francois Jacques Jersey . -- Jay Haas and Peter Jacobsen took the second-round lead Saturday in the Champions Tours Legends of Golf, teaming for a 6-under 48 in windy conditions on the par-3 Top of the Rock course. http://www.officialoilersfanstore.com/au...-oilers-jersey/. Heather, the first Gaiter to win the award, set a Canadian Inter-university Sport record with 3,132 passing yards in eight league games, an average of 391.5 yards per game. That beat the mark of 3,047 set only one week earlier by Westerns Will Finch, a Hec Crighton finalist. Mark Fayne Jersey . -- Wide receiver Sidney Rice should be fully recovered from a torn knee ligament by the time the Seattle Seahawks start defence of their Super Bowl title, general manager John Schneider said Wednesday. Custom Edmonton Oilers Jerseys . The $145.7-million Tim Hortons Field was slated to open this month, a year before it was to host all 32 mens and womens soccer competitions. The delay has forced the Hamilton Tiger-Cats football team to use a smaller facility for the first two home games of the season. CLEVELAND -- Little Faith Murphy scooped everyone on her daddy signing with the Indians. After free agent outfielder David Murphy agreed to terms on a contract last week with Cleveland, his 5-year-daughter, Faith, was at day care in Texas where she was learning about Thanksgiving. Thats when she broke the big news and startled some teachers. "They were talking about Pilgrims and Indians," Cleveland general manager Chris Antonetti said on a conference call. "And she said, My daddy is going to be an Indian. Thats a first for us." Murphy, who spent the past seven seasons with the Rangers, finalized a $12 million, two-year contract Monday. Among the Indians off-season goals were to improve their depth in the outfield and increase their production against right-handed hitters. They feel theyve addressed both needs by signing Murphy, who has a career .275 average and can play all three outfield positions. Murphy had a down season in 2013, batting a career-low .220 with 13 homers and 45 RBIs in 142 games. The Indians are confident hell put up statistics more in line with his career numbers. "In talking to David, with Josh Hamilton leaving (via free agency), he put some pressurre on himself and maybe tried to do a little more," Antonetti said.dddddddddddd "We expect him to bounce back and get closer to his norms next year." Murphy played mostly left field, but the Indians will use him in all three spots. Antonetti expects manager Terry Francona to primarily give Murphy the bulk of his at-bats while playing right field, where he can platoon with Ryan Raburn or Drew Stubbs, who is eligible for salary arbitration. "He will give Terry the opportunity to mix and match," Antonetti said. "It will keep guys healthy and fresh. We feel like we can match up well with whoever is pitching." Murphy will receive salaries of $5.5 million next year and $6 million in 2015, and the Indians have a $7 million option for 2016 with a $500,000 buyout. His 2016 salary can increase by $1.5 million: $250,000 each for 500, 525, 550 and 575 plate appearances, and $500,000 for 600. He would receive a $100,000 bonus if traded. A left-handed hitter, Murphy batted .304 in 2012 with 15 homers and 61 RBIs in 147 games. He finished among the AL leaders in on-base percentage and average. Murphy was drafted by Boston in 2003 and traded to Texas in 2007. 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