Tag: Portland Trail Blazers

Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) questions a foul call against him in the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers Thu Dec 18, 2025 in Portland (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (6-21) lost to the Portland Trail Blazers (11-16) in overtime 134-133 forging a late fourth quarter rally to force the overtime They had trailed by as much as 18 points before making an amazing run.

DeMar DeRozan finished the game with 33 points and it appeared he had hit the winning shot but a foul sent Portland to the line with 1.5 seconds left on the clock. The Trail Blazers Deni Avdija hit both free throws winning the game for Portland by a single point.

Game recap: The first quarter was a high scoring opening 12 minutes with the Kings leading 40-36. As it turned out Dennis Schroeder was able to play off the bench in this game. The Trail Blazers came back strong in the second quarter outscoring Sacramento 27-20 taking a 63-60 lead into the locker room at the half. The Kings were very much in this game going into the third quarter.

A wild third quarter got underway with the two teams trading the lead throughout. With under four minutes left in the quarter the Kings had a slim 77-76 lead. Maxime Raynaud had the high score in the game so far for Sacramento with under three minutes left in the third.

The Kings had four starters in double figures and the Trail Blazers Shaedon Sharpe with 22 points was doing a lot of the heavy lifting for Portland as well as Deni Avdija. Going into the fourth quarter, this game could not have been any closer with Sacramento continuing to hold onto a one-point lead 83-82.

Not being able to close out games in the fourth quarter has been problematic for the Kings this season. Sacramento had yet another chance to try and close out this game for the win.

The Trail Blazers took back the lead early in the fourth quarter 89-85 and the race was on. With 8:36 left on the clock the Kings were already showing signs of shutting down as Portland continued to extend their lead 91-85.

At 5:16 the Trail Blazers had their largest lead of the game 107-89. With under four minutes left in the game it was all downhill for the Kings via fouls and turnovers and it began to look like another meltdown was in the works. Sacramento began to pick away at the Trail Blazers lead and with 8 seconds left on the clock DeMar DeRozan hit a three to tie up the game 115-115 and this contest went into overtime.

The Kings struggled to start the overtime giving up a 122-117 lead to Portland. Sacramento fought hard throughout the extra minutes coming as close as three-points 129-126 with a minute left on the clock.

With 4.4 seconds left in the overtime it was again DeRozan giving the Kings a one-point lead 133-132. When a win seemed imminent Russell Westbrook fouled Deni Avdija. Avdija made both free throws and that was the game with the Trail Blazers winning a wild one 134-133 handing the Kings a heart-breaking loss.

Sacramento fought hard in this game especially in overtime. They came so very close losing by a single point. DeRozan had the team high with 33 points and Maxime Raynaud had a double double finishing with 29 points and 11 rebounds. Westbrook turned in 20 points and Keegan Murray had 17 points.

Portland’s Avdija had the game high with 35 points hitting the two free throws at the end that won the game for the Trail Blazers.

Game notes: The Kings have struggled all season and the last thing, they need as they go into another road game this one against the Trail Blazers, with more injuries. The Kings continue without their big man Domantas Sabonis who will be re-evaluated any day now after suffering a partially torn meniscus.

It appears he is close to returning to the court. Along with Sabonis, Zach LaVine is also down with a left ankle sprain that may keep him out for at least a week. It gets worse for Sacramento with Dennis Schroeder questionable with a right ankle sprain.

With all of this upheaval Malik Monk, Nique Cliffored and Keon Ellis played larger roles in this game. As far as the starting lineup for the Kings used Maxime Raynaud who continues to battle in his new role. Drew Eubanks was ruled out with a thumb injury.

With this plethora of injuries the Sacramento bench played a huge role and the starting line up along with Raynaud, DeRozan, Murray, Westbrook and Precious Achiuwa taking the court. The Kings came into this game after losing to the Timberwolves Sunday 117-103 while the Trail Blazers beat the Golden State Warriors 136-131 on Sunday.

The two teams will meet for a second time in as many days this time at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday December 20th with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 PM .

Photo: Kings Forward #10 DeMar SeRozan taking a shot over Trail Blazer Guard #1 Anfernee Simons (by Mauricio Segura Golden Bay Times/Sports Radio Service)

By Mauricio Segura

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings kicked off their first season win with flair, cruising to a commanding 111-98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers at the Golden 1 Center on Monday night.

From tip-off to the final buzzer, the Kings ran the show, never trailing and making an early statement that they’re a team to keep on your radar this season. With a mix of seasoned veterans and rising stars, Sacramento gave fans a preview of the exciting potential that lies ahead.

The Kings came out strong in the first quarter, outpacing Portland 25-20. Domantas Sabonis set the tone early, dominating the boards and orchestrating the offense. Sabonis flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists. New addition DeMar DeRozan, picked up in the offseason, looked right at home in Sacramento’s system. He led all scorers with 23 points, drawing fouls at will and sinking 9 of 10 free throws.

The third quarter proved to be the turning point. Sacramento exploded with a 21-4 run, transforming a close game into a one-sided affair. Sabonis ran the show from the high post, while Keegan Murray knocked down timely buckets to stretch the lead to 24 points. Portland had no answers, getting outscored 38-28 in the third as the Kings locked in and put the game out of reach.

Portland’s rookie guard Scoot Henderson flashed his potential with 18 points, five assists, and four rebounds, but he lacked the consistent support needed to mount a serious challenge. Deandre Ayton made his presence felt with 20 points and 11 rebounds, but their efforts weren’t enough to stop Sacramento’s well-balanced attack.

Kings head coach Mike Brown praised his team’s all-around effort, saying, “The way we shared the ball and played for each other tonight is exactly the kind of energy we need.”

On the other side, Blazers coach Chauncey Billups acknowledged the growing pains with his revamped squad. “Sacramento had us on our heels all night. That run they made was the difference; we’ve got to learn how to respond better,” Billups said.

With their first win in the books, the Kings aim to carry this momentum into tougher games ahead, signaling they’re ready to build on last season’s playoff success. As for the Blazers, they’ll head back to Portland looking to regroup and smooth out the wrinkles in their lineup as their new-look squad takes shape.

Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (11) runs up the court to prepare to defend with the Utah Jazz John Collins (20) in the foreground with basketball at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tue Oct 15, 2024 (Getty photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Sacramento Kings (0-4) made some vast improvement in their matchup with the Utah Jazz (4-1) despite losing 117-114. They finished the game with only 11 turnovers a far cry from the 27 they had last Sunday.

They had a better effort from beyond the arc. The first half was back and forth with 13 lead changes but the second half saw the Jazz take the lead for much of the third and fourth quarters. The high for the Kings was Domantas Sabonis with another double double. He finished the game with 29 points, 8 assists and 13 rebounds.

Game recap: As this game got underway, it could not have been closer. After the first 12 minutes of play, the Kings trailed 30-31. There were lead changes throughout not only the first quarter but the second quarter as well.

Utah won the second quarter by a single point 27-26 and led at the half 58-56. Domantas Sabonis was having a great game scoring 23 points with nine rebounds on the edge of another double double.

De’Aaron Fox and DeMar DeRozan would be looking for more offense in the second half. Each of them had seven points in the first half. Sacramento had really cleaned up the turnovers in the first half with only six to Utah’s 15. This was a vast improvement over their last game against Portland and they were looking for more of the same in the second half.

The Jazz began to build a lead in the third quarter and at 5:42 led 77-68. The Kings head coach Mike Brown wasted no time calling a timeout when the team began to fall further and further behind not liking at all what he was seeing.

Sacramento would pull to within four points but by quarters end, the Jazz pushed back taking the lead 85-76 with under two minutes left in the third. After three quarters the Jazz had a 87-83 lead. De’Aaron Fox hit a 50-foot jumper at the buzzer to close out the third.

Less than two minutes into the fourth quarter the Kings trailed by two points 87-89. At 9:26, this game was tied at 92. Down the stretch at 6:31, the Jazz had a 98-97 lead and this game was up for grabs.

The game was again tied at 105 with 4:21 left on the clock. With under a minute left in the game the Jazz were clinging to a one-point lead 113-112. This game was going down to the wire. The Kings just could not get over the top losing to Utah 117-114 for their fourth pre-season loss.

Domantas Sabonis had the high for the Kings with 29 points, eight assists and 16 rebounds for another double double. DeAaron Fox finished with 22 points and seven rebounds which included the 50-ft shot at the third quarter buzzer.

Keegan Murray had 21 points and five rebounds. The Kings ball protection was great with only 11 turnovers much improved over previous games.

Keyonte George was the high for the Jazz with 24 points .

Game notes: Sunday the Kings got blown out of the water by the Trail Blazers 105-85. They had 27 turnovers and struggled defensively. Tuesday night the Kings lost to Utah (4-1) and failed to pick up their first win of the pre-season.

They were also looking for much improved ball protection as well as better offense and defense. It was a rough game for the Sacramento starters Sunday and they didn’t get much production Tuesday in Utah. When you see that starting lineup scoring barely ten points apiece you have to scratch your head. Curious. With all the turnovers, this team was not playing as a unit and Tuesday night they played a lot closer game with the Jazz but again lost and fell three points short.

The Kings will play their final pre-season game Thursday night taking on the Los Angeles Clippers looking for their first win of the pre-season. They played a far improved game Tuesday and they are moving in the right direction with the season a little over a week away. Tipoff for Thursday is scheduled for 7:30 PM PT at Crypto.com Arena.