SACRAMENTO, CALIF. – They've changed the name twice and cowbells no longer clang quite like they once did, but Timberwolves assistant coach David Adelman will always remember the arena out in the pastures north of Sacramento as Arco as well as the entertaining teams that once thrilled fans there.

"Somebody corrected me the other day, and I said they've changed it like five times," he said. "So it'll always be Arco to me, kind of like it's still the Rose Garden to me."

He grew up in a basketball family in Portland, where his father, Rick, once coached the beloved Trail Blazers and then became a part-time resident through his high school and college years and beyond when his dad coached the Kings for eight seasons.

The Wolves played at the place now known as Sleep Train Arena and before that Power Balance Pavilion for the final time on Thursday night. Rick Adelman and other dignitaries will attend the final NBA game played there Saturday against Oklahoma City before the Kings move to a new downtown arena next season after they almost left town.

Kevin Garnett and LeBron James each played his first NBA regular-season game there. Wolves veteran Tayshaun Prince once played high school playoff games there. David Adelman always will remember both midweek regular season and playoff games because of the noise, and he'll always remember teams featuring Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovic and others that won 55 or more games four consecutive times in the early 2000s.

"One of the most energized buildings I've ever been in," he said. "The fanbase is incredible win or lose, and all those arenas make a different kind of sound. That place, when it was rocking, it was shaking."

Those plywood floorboards that Kings fans stomped upon courtside might have had something to do with it.

"That helped," Adelman said. "I think those teams helped, too. They were so unselfish and so fun to watch. That was a special time."

Best-laid plans …

The Wolves' Thursday morning shootaround lasted nearly 90 minutes, much of it spent detailing strategy to defend Kings star center DeMarcus Cousins. Less than an hour later, they learned the Kings planned to rest Cousins and starting point guard Rajon Rondo and not play injured Marco Belinelli and Omri Casspi as well.

"Tell Sam [Mitchell] to send me the scouting report," Sacramento coach George Karl said, laughing. "I want to know what he says about how to cover Cousins. I'll tell you what: Our personality is quite different without Cousins. I know the play sheets I go into games with are quite different."

Etc.

• Former Kentucky teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein faced each other again. "Two young kids hungry for a career," Karl said. "I think Towns is a little further ahead offensively, and I'll say Willie is a little further ahead defensively."

• Wolves center Greg Smith gathered 18 tickets from teammates and other sources for family members and friends who traveled 45 minutes from his hometown of Vallejo, Calif. He urged them to come to Thursday's game rather than Tuesday's game at the Warriors because Kings tickets are cheaper and easier to come by.