Maxime Raynaud #42 of the Sacramento Kings drives to the basket during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on December 20, 2025 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO — Coming off a rough few weeks in the month of December, the Kings were back in action on Saturday night against the Portland Trail Blazers in Sacramento at Golden 1 Center. The Kings fell to the Blazers 98-93 on Saturday night.
In the first quarter, the Kings got down 15-2 early as the starters couldn’t get much going. However, the bench came in and got the Kings back into the game to finish the quarter with the Blazers outscoring the Kings 28-26. The Kings went on a 24-13 run to finish the quarter after the starters came out and kept the game from getting out of hand, as Keegan Murray led the Kings with eight first-quarter points.
In the second quarter, neither team made a move to take over the game as they both traded baskets for the most part. The Blazers outscored the Kings 19-18 in the second to take a 47-44 lead into halftime at Golden 1 Center. The Kings’ offense really struggled in the first half as they shot 27% from deep and 46% overall in the half. Keegan Murray and Dennis Schröder led the Kings with 10 points each in first-half scoring for the Kings.
In the third quarter, the Trail Blazers went on a run early in the quarter to take a 12-point lead over the Kings. However, as the quarter came to a close, the Kings were able to battle and get the score back to where it started coming out of halftime. The Kings and Blazers each scored 25 points in the third to go into the fourth with the Kings trailing 72-69. Keegan Murray and Dennis Schröder continued to lead the Kings with 15 and 16 points, respectively, through three quarters.
In the fourth quarter, it was the same story as the Kings hung around but weren’t able to get any momentum to take over the game. The Blazers outscored the Kings 26-24 in the final quarter of the game to defeat the Kings 98-93 in regulation. The Kings struggled all game to score from three-point land as they finished the game shooting an abysmal 19% from deep. Overall, the Kings shot 38% from the field and 67% from the line in what can be described as a bad shooting night. Dennis Schröder led the Kings in scoring with 21 points in the game as Deni Avdija led all scorers with 24 points.
After the game, Doug Christie was happy with the effort the Kings showed. However, they need to become more consistent on both ends of the floor to see the results in the end of games.
Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Houston Rockets on Sunday night at 7 p.m. PST at Golden 1 Center.











