The Denver Nuggets played well in their back-to-back-to-back stretch. The
Sacramento Kings are hoping things start looking up after a rough start to
theirs.

The Nuggets will try to keep their perfect home record intact when they face
the Kings on Wednesday night.

Denver (4-2) opened a stretch of three games in three nights with a 92-89
road loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, but bounced back with a 99-90
win over the Lakers the following night before recording a 91-86 victory over
Milwaukee on Monday.

The Nuggets, playing without starting forward Nene (bruised heel), showed
signs of fatigue, shooting 39.8 percent while committing 16 turnovers, but
outscored the Bucks 23-12 in the fourth quarter.

Danilo Gallinari finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds while Ty Lawson had
16 points and six assists.

“They didn’t look like they had three games in three nights,” Milwaukee’s
Stephen Jackson said. “That says a lot about how good of shape they’re in, and
they didn’t have Nene, so you’ve got to credit them for that.”

The win was Denver’s third in as many home games this season. They shut down
the Bucks in the fourth quarter after holding the Lakers to 19 points in the
final period on Sunday. Those teams shot a combined 40.9 percent and were 9 of
42 (21.4 percent) from 3-point range.

“In the fourth quarter it’s very easy to find extra energy,” Gallinari said
of feeding off the crowd. “You have a tight game, you want to win, especially at
home.”

Gallinari has elevated his play of late, collecting 41 points, 14 rebounds
and five steals in the last two games. He had 34 points and 14 boards in his
three previous contests.

The Nuggets may need another big game from him if Nene is sidelined again
Wednesday, although Al Harrington has been playing effectively off the bench. He
had 17 points and eight boards Monday and is averaging 15.7 points and 6.5
rebounds.

Like Denver, Sacramento (2-4) began its back-to-back-to-back series with a
113-96 loss to Memphis on Tuesday, but it could have a tougher time bouncing
back.

The Kings were outscored 31-17 in the first quarter, shooting 5 of 20.
Rookie Jimmer Fredette scored a season-high 17 points, shooting 4 of 6 from
3-point range, while J.J. Hickson contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds.

DeMarcus Cousins came off the bench and had four points and eight rebounds
in 22 minutes. Cousins was told on Sunday to stay away from the team by coach
Paul Westphal after demanding a trade.

“I wouldn’t say it’s resolved,” Westphal said before the game. “We will see
how it plays out. I think DeMarcus has to continue to show maturity and a desire
to go the same direction as his teammates. We’re all hoping that happens.”

Cousins is third on the team with 11.2 points per game and adds 10.6
rebounds.

Sacramento will close this three-game stretch Thursday against Milwaukee.
The Kings starters should be rested after Westphal pulled most of them early
Tuesday. No starter played more than 27 minutes.

The Kings have lost four of five overall against the Nuggets and five
straight in Denver since a 118-115 win on April 5, 2008.

The Sacramento Kings have sent two of their young players to the Reno Bighorns, their developmental league team. The team announced that rookie small forward Tyler Honeycutt and second year center Hassan Whiteside would leave Sacramento and join the D-League affiliate.

Both players were drafted in the second round of the NBA draft and were chosen as developmental players. Now they’re getting the opportunity to do just that, develop their game and get the playing time they need to do so. This will be a good move for each player because they should learn more from actual game experience than sitting on the bench and watching.

Whiteside is a seven-foot center who is in his second season and has seen very little playing time with Sacramento. I was hoping that Whiteside had developed enough in the offseason to be able to contribute minutes off the bench this year. Sacramento has just four big men on the roster and recently sent home center DeMarcus Cousins after asking for a trade. Sending Whiteside to the D-League must indicate that the situation with Cousins isn’t serious and he will return soon. Sadly, it also indicates that Whiteside hasn’t improved and is not ready to contribute at the NBA level.

Honeycutt is only five games into his rookie season and was Sacramento’s first of two second round draft choices in the 2011 draft. The other player, point guard Isaiah Thomas, is on the roster and seeing playing time. The biggest difference between the two players is that Thomas had much more experience on the collegiate level and is more ready to play right now. Honeycutt is stuck behind John Salmons, Travis Outlaw, Donte Greene, and Francisco Garcia at his position. This means it is very unlikely he will see playing time this season unless Sacramento is blowing out an opponent or getting blown out.

Fans shouldn’t look too much into players being assigned to the D-League. This will give each player an opportunity to receive more playing time and try to improve their game. Hopefully it helps the team longterm and each player benefits from their time in Reno.

Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and a lifelong fan of the Sacramento Kings. He started going to Kings games at age six and has attended hundreds of games since. Follow him on twitter @kyler11.

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Read More: Chuck Hayes (C – SAC), Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings have received a tough blow to their up-and-coming young team as, according to Matt Steinmetz, forward Chuck Hayes has failed his physical and thus his recently signed contract is void.

Steinmetz went on to quote Kings GM Geoff Petrie in multiple tweets saying:

“This morning, in one of the most heartbreaking moments of my professional or personal life, Chuck Hayes was notified that he failed his physical exam with the Sacramento Kings. Subsequent to that, the contract signed on December 9th has been voided. At Chuck’s request, we will have no further comment at this time.”

Hayes would have been part of a frontcourt rotation that includes DeMarcus Cousins, J.J. Hickson, Jason Thompson and Hassan Whiteside. Hayes is the best defender of the bunch and his calm, professional demeanor is a balance to the enigmatic Cousins. This opens the door for more playing time for Hickson.

For more on the Kings, head to Sactown Royalty.

Read More: Chuck Hayes (C – SAC), Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings have received a tough blow to their up-and-coming young team as, according to Matt Steinmetz, forward Chuck Hayes has failed his physical and thus his recently signed contract is void.

Steinmetz went on to quote Kings GM Geoff Petrie in multiple tweets saying:

“This morning, in one of the most heartbreaking moments of my professional or personal life, Chuck Hayes was notified that he failed his physical exam with the Sacramento Kings. Subsequent to that, the contract signed on December 9th has been voided. At Chuck’s request, we will have no further comment at this time.”

Hayes would have been part of a frontcourt rotation that includes DeMarcus Cousins, J.J. Hickson, Jason Thompson and Hassan Whiteside. Hayes is the best defender of the bunch and his calm, professional demeanor is a balance to the enigmatic Cousins. This opens the door for more playing time for Hickson.

For more on the Kings, head to Sactown Royalty.

Even while the NBA season seems a lost cause, the Sacramento Kings are adding pieces to their coaching staff. Teams are still able to tweak their staffs even though they currently have no idea if or when an actual season will begin. The Sacramento Kings made a splash when they announced the addition of former player Bobby Jackson(notes) and former Golden State Warrior head coach Keith Smart as new assistant coaches.

While it’s difficult to speculate about the NBA when the owners and players can’t come to a labor agreement, these moves seem like a good move for the Kings.

Bobby Jackson was always one of the most liked players on the team during his time in Sacramento. His hustle and hard play on the court made him respected by teammates and fans. He should have a lot of knowledge and experience to bring to the coaching staff if and when a season ever starts again. Seeing a familiar face on the sidelines should excite fans as well. Jackson is well liked and respected in the community. Jackson seems excited about the opportunity to begin his coaching career in the NBA.

Jackson spent six years playing in Sacramento out of a successful 14 year NBA career. He averaged 9.7 points per game in his career. Jackson also won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in the 2002-03 season. He seems likely to be a great addition to an NBA coaching staff with the amount of experience he earned in the league. The team has several young guards that Jackson will likely look to tutor and help develop. I would expect him to work extensively with Jimmer Fredette(notes), Tyreke Evans(notes) and Marcus Thornton(notes).

The team also added Keith Smart to the coaching staff. Smart was the head coach of the Warriors in 2010-11. Although he was fired, his experience should be a valuable addition to the coaching staff.

At a time when NBA fans have nothing to cheer for and little to look forward to, any news is good. It’s nice to hear something happening in the league, even if that something is just a coaching change. Fans can only hope that Jackson, Smart, Paul Westphal and the rest of the staff will actually get an opportunity to coach and stand on the sidelines sometime soon.

Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and a lifelong fan of the Sacramento Kings. He started going to Kings games at age six and has attended hundreds of games since. Follow him on twitter @kyler11.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.