NBA Game Preview - New Orleans at Sacramento

Sun Feb 12, 2017 9:00 PM EST

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- DeMarcus Cousins noticed it, so it probably goes without saying the Sacramento Kings did, too.

The Kings (22-32) bring their first two-game winning home win streak since December into Sunday's night's contest against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Golden 1 Center. But they also trailed by 26 and 22 points, respectively in the past two games they've had Cousins on the floor.

They never trailed against Boston during one of their best victories this season in the game that sandwiched those two. That was the contest Cousins missed because of an automatic one-game suspension for accruing too many technical fouls.

Nobody on the Kings is suggesting they are better off without the big man, but they need a better version of the one they saw in Friday's 108-107 victory over Atlanta. And even Cousins is questioning whether he can provide the form that has made him an Olympic gold medalist and two-time All-Star without bringing the emotional turmoil that has led to him to earn two more technical fouls than the rest of his team.

"I'm fighting my demons right now," he said after the game, before later adding, "I don't know how to be myself anymore. It's something I'm going to have to figure out."

Cousins scored 10 of his 22 points against the Hawks in the final quarter, but also had nine of Sacramento's 18 turnovers and seemed to disappear completely for long stretches of the game. He did not pick up a technical foul -- he earns a suspension with every second one he receives the rest of the season -- but he also seemed dispirited.

"The guy is trying so hard. He's an emotional player," Kings coach Dave Joerger said. "It's like he's playing with one hand behind his back if he can't ever say anything. He doesn't want to hurt the team. ... So we've got to find a way for him to play with emotion and yet not have it come out."

The Kings need all their hands to deal with Anthony Davis and the Pelicans (21-33). Davis scored 42 points as New Orleans kicked off the first of a three-game Western trip leading to the All-Star break with a 122-106 victory in Minnesota.

Davis continues to struggle with consistency -- he scored only 12 points in a 33-point loss to Utah in the final home game before the trip -- but he also talled 35 points and 15 rebounds in 10 games. The rest of the NBA has a total of 10 such contests.

The win against Minnesota snapped a five-game road losing streak for New Orleans, which surrendered at least 100 points in 11 consecutive games. The Pelicans held Minnesota to nine over a nine-minute stretch of the second quarter.

"That's the way we have to play," Davis told Fox Sports. "That's the way we have to come out on this road trip. It's a huge road trip for us."

Jrue Holiday is proving to be a good complement to Davis. The Pelicans guard is averaging 23.1 points and 8.3 assists over the past 10 games.

Ben McLemore has been the hottest King with double-digit scoring totals in four of his past five games, including a season-best 22 on Friday against Atlanta.

Kings guard Ty Lawson remains questionable with a strained left hamstring after missing Friday's contest. Ex-King Tyreke Evans is questionable for New Orleans because of a sprained left ankle.