Kings winning games, but tough road tests on the horizon

The Sacramento Kings have won their last three games to improve to 7-10 on the season, but they will play three straight road games against tough opponents this week. These three games should serve as good measuring stick to see how much the team has improved.

The Kings passed their first test on the road, defeating the Portland Trailblazers 99-80 on Saturday. The win at Rose Garden was the Kings' first victory of the season away from Sacramento.

Portland, however, owns the worst record out of the four opponents the Kings will face on their road-trip. Sacramento's next game is Monday night against the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas is 10-10 on the season, but 6-3 at the American Airlines Center. The Kings have not won back-to-back road games since March 2011, and have lost their last 16 games at Dallas during the regular season.

The Milwaukee Bucks (10-9) will host the Kings on Wednesday, while the Oklahoma City Thunder (17-4) will play against Sacramento Friday night. The Kings need to steer clear of another losing streak to avoid being buried in the standings before Christmas.