Toumani Camara #33 of the Portland Trail Blazers steals the ball from Domantas Sabonis #11 of the Sacramento Kings in the second half of their game at Golden 1 Center on October 23, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory photo credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — After a rough first game of the season on Wednesday in Inglewood against the Clippers, the Kings looked to bounce back on Friday night at Golden 1 Center. The Portland Trail Blazers came to Sacramento for a 7 p.m. PDT game on Friday in front of a raucous crowd for the Kings’ home opener.

The Kings fell to the Trail Blazers 128-120 on Friday night.

In the first quarter, the Kings jumped out to an early lead thanks to a solid start on the offensive end of the floor. The Kings outscored the Blazers 33-27 as Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray started hot, with both scoring 10 points in the first quarter. Robert Williams paced the Blazers to start the game with nine points in the quarter.

In the second quarter, the Kings kept pace but allowed the Blazers to outscore them 32-31 as they brought the game a little closer heading into halftime. Darius Acuff Jr. led the Kings in the second quarter with eight points on 2-of-7 shooting from the floor. Ex-King Ciddy Cissoko led the Blazers in the second as he scored 10 in the quarter to lead the Blazers into halftime trailing 64-59.

In the third quarter, the Kings faltered and started to lose their grip on the game. Portland came out of the half firing as the Blazers outscored the Kings 44-26 while the Kings’ defense broke down.

Doug Christie described the defensive breakdown that led to the lopsided quarter after the game.

“I mean, just energy,” Doug said after the game. “Energy leads to transition defense. Energy leads to allowing offensive rebounds. Energy leads to a lot of things that we just did not do … We talked about it at halftime. It’s not like they weren’t told. The third quarter was huge and they did not take advantage of it.”

In the fourth quarter, the Kings fought, but they ultimately weren’t able to overcome the hole they dug for themselves. The Kings outscored the Blazers 30-25 but ultimately fell to Portland by the final score of 128-120.

“There’s a process to learning how to compete,” Doug said after the game. “There’s a process to learning how to win. And we’re going through all of that right now and we’re finding things, finding out, but those aren’t excuses. It’s just what it is. And we put ourselves in position to compete in the first half. They came out and punched us in the mouth. We fought back. Those are great signs, but this is all about production and we have to figure out a way to finish it.”

The Kings got some outstanding performances, including 33 points from Darius Acuff Jr., but it’s all for nothing to the rookie since the Kings lost the game.

“Yeah, it was good, but s—, it don’t matter,” Darius said after the game. “We lost. Ain’t nothing I want more than a win. So everything I do is fine, but we didn’t get the win, it really doesn’t matter.”

Domantas Sabonis was also a major standout in the loss, recording his 69th career triple-double with 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists.

“I just really focused on trying to get everyone some easy looks, get them to the free throw line, see something going,” Domas said after the loss. “And then as you saw, everyone started doing it more, shooting with confidence and that’s when we’re at our best.”

The Kings fell to 0-2 on the young season as they prepare for their next game on Sunday. The Kings will take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday at 6 p.m. PDT at Golden 1 Center.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.