Sacramento Kings Daeqwon Plowden (29) prepares for the throw down against the Portland Trail Blazers Jeremy Sochan (4) in pre season action at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Tue Oct 13, 2026 (Golden Bay Times photo)
By Mauricio Segura
SACRAMENTO–Despite plenty of opportunities to find their rhythm, The Sacramento Kings just could not find the edge to move past Portland Tuesday night. Behind an impressive 26-point performance from Deni Avdija, the Trail Blazers established an early advantage, built a commanding lead, and held off a fourth-quarter Sacramento rally to secure a 110-98 victory.
Avdija wasted little time making his presence known. He scored Portland’s first four points on consecutive drives to the basket before connecting on a 25-foot three-pointer that helped establish a 10-4 advantage. Sacramento answered with contributions from Precious Achiuwa and Keegan Murray, but the Kings struggled to generate consistent offense against a Portland defense that repeatedly disrupted their attempts near the basket.
Donovan Clingan was particularly troublesome for Sacramento, recording five blocked shots, including several against Achiuwa. His defensive presence forced the Kings to reconsider their approach inside while Portland continued finding favorable opportunities at the opposite end.
The Trail Blazers finished the opening quarter ahead 33-22, with Avdija already establishing himself as their primary offensive threat. Sacramento received eight first-quarter points from Tristen Newton, but Portland maintained control through a combination of aggressive drives and contributions from its supporting cast.
The second quarter proved even more troublesome for the Kings.
Portland outscored Sacramento 33-17 during the period, extending its advantage to 66-39 by halftime. The Trail Blazers received contributions from several players, including Jrue Holiday, Robert Williams III, Toumani Camara, and Scoot Henderson. Camara provided one of the period’s highlights with an alley-oop dunk before connecting on a three-pointer that extended Portland’s advantage to 65-36.
For Sacramento, Murray reached ten points before halftime, but the Kings struggled to establish any sustained momentum. Missed perimeter attempts, turnovers, and Clingan’s defensive work contributed to an increasingly difficult evening.
Portland continued its offensive success after intermission.
Damian Lillard connected on two three-pointers during the third quarter, while Avdija continued attacking the basket with impressive efficiency. The Trail Blazers extended their advantage to 85-50 midway through the period, their largest margin of the contest at 35 points.
Sacramento responded with a brief offensive revival, cutting into the deficit behind Newton and other contributors. However, Portland answered with baskets from Ja Morant, Williams, and Avdija, preserving a 93-66 advantage heading into the final quarter.
Morant opened the fourth with a pull-up jumper, and Portland eventually extended its advantage to 97-66. Sacramento, however, wasn’t finished.
The Kings began reducing the deficit through stronger defensive possessions and improved offensive execution. Portland experienced a prolonged scoring drought, giving Sacramento an opportunity to make the final minutes more competitive.
The Kings narrowed the margin to 104-91 before Newton’s teammates continued applying pressure. Isaac Mogbo and Daeqwon Plowden helped Sacramento reduce the deficit further, but the early damage proved too extensive to overcome.
Portland maintained enough separation to finish with a 12-point victory despite scoring only 17 points in the fourth quarter. Sacramento produced 32 during the period, demonstrating an offensive response that had been largely absent through the first three quarters.
Avdija led Portland with 26 points, while Lillard and Morant contributed 14 apiece. Camara and Holiday finished with 11 each, giving the Trail Blazers multiple offensive options throughout the contest.
Newton and Mogbo paced Sacramento with 15 points apiece. Achiuwa added 12, while Murray, Plowden, and LeBron James Jr.’s teammate?
For the Kings, the fourth-quarter improvement offered encouragement, but the considerable halftime deficit illustrated how difficult recovery becomes when an opponent dictates the opening 24 minutes.
Portland established its advantage early, expanded it decisively before halftime, and ultimately had enough protection against Sacramento’s late response.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
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⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
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Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
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