Kings resume road swing in Jersey

The Kings are 2-1 on the trip after defeating Cleveland and Atlanta, but dropped a 117-107 decision to the Washington Wizards on Sunday.

Ron Artest had 30 points and Kevin Martin added 20 and seven rebounds for the Kings, who had a three-game overall winning streak halted. Brad Miller contributed 18 points and Mike Bibby netted 16 points in the loss.

Miller was recently named to compete for a spot on the 2006 World Championships and 2008 Olympic team for the United States.

Sacramento, which has a solid shot for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, wraps up its five-game road trip at Milwaukee on Wednesday.

The Kings are 3-7 in their last 10 road games and 9-20 as the guest this season.

Meanwhile, the Nets will conclude a brief two-game homestand versus the Kings.

On Sunday versus Toronto, former Raptor and current NJ star Vince Carter lit up his old club for 31 points in a 105-100 overtime triumph. Richard Jefferson scored 30 points for New Jersey, which ended a three-game losing streak.

The third-seeded Nets, who have a 2 1/2-game lead over Philadelphia in the Atlantic Division, are 15-2 in their last 17 home games and 19-8 as the host this season.

Monday’s game is the second final meeting of the season between Sacramento and New Jersey. In the first matchup on November 23, Miller had 20 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds to lead Sacramento to a 114-105 win at ARCO Arena.

The Kings have won two of the last three and five of seven against New Jersey, but have lost their last two trips to the Meadowlands.