wolves gameday

7 P.M. VS. sacramento • target center • FSN, 830-AM

Preview: The Kings won three consecutive home games — including a 124-80 rout of Cleveland — but lost 116-92 at Indiana on Tuesday to start a six-game, 10-day trip that also takes them to Memphis, Oklahoma City, New Orleans and Houston. … That 44-point victory over the Cavs on Sunday was the third-largest margin of victory in franchise history. … This is the first of four meetings between the teams this season. The Wolves won last season's series 2-1. This is the first time the teams have played since the Wolves sent former No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams to Sacramento in late November for veteran forward Luc Mbah a Moute. It's also the first time the Wolves will see Rudy Gay — acquired from Toronto in a trade not long after the Williams deal — in a Kings uniform.

Players to watch: Wednesday's game would feature two All-Star candidates — the Wolves' Nikola Pekovic vs. the Kings' DeMarcus Cousins — if the NBA hadn't changed its ways by eliminating the center designation. Cousins was named the West's Player of the Week last week for averaging 25 points, 12.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 blocks while leading the Kings to a 3-0 week. He is the first Sacramento player to win that award since Brad Miller in February 2008. Only three NBA players are averaging 23 points and 11 rebounds: Cousins, Wolves star Kevin Love and Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge.

Injuries: The Wolves report no injuries. Kings F Carl Landry (torn hip flexor) is out and G Ray McCallum has been assigned to the D-League.

JERRY ZGODA