Guard Malik Monk (0) of the Sacramento Kings lets everyone know who the man is after scoring on the Portland Trailblazers forward Jerami Grant (9) at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Wed Nov 8, 2023 (AP News photo)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night. The Kings were coming off two games in Houston against the upstart Rockets. It was a disappointing show from the Kings on the road as they lost both games to the Rockets. The Kings were boat-raced in both games, losing 107-89 and 122-89.
It was a pathetic showing for the Kings in the Lone Star State as they looked to get back on track on Wednesday. The Kings were set to tip off against the Portland Trailblazers at 7 PM PST. The Kings snapped their losing streak of three games by beating the Blazers 121-118
In the first quarter, the Kings offense looked different than in previous games this season. Coach Mike Brown elected to start Keon Ellis over Davion Mitchell. The decision paid off early, as Keon gave the Kings solid minutes to open the game with stability. Overall, the Kings played well in the first quarter, scoring 34 points with help from an 11-point quarter from Domantas Sobonis. The Blazers scored 29 points in the quarter.
In the second quarter, the Kings lost the lead. The Kings only scored 22 points in the second. On the other hand, the Blazers scored 31 points in the quarter to build a 60-56 lead over the Kings. Mike Brown was visibly frustrated with the Kings going into halftime. The Kings offense was suffering under missed open shots. If the Kings hoped to win, they needed to hit their open shots in the second half.
In the third quarter, the Kings played better, but it wasn’t by much. The Kings outscored the Blazers 29-24 in the third quarter to regain the lead going into the game’s final quarter. The Kings leading scorer through three quarters was Domantas Sabonis, who had 21 points. The Blazers leading scorer was Jerami Grant, with 25 through three quarters. The score was 85-84 Kings going into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Kings would play without enough intensity to finish the job. The Kings scored 26 points compared to the Blazers 27 points. The game would come to the end of regulation with the score 111-111. The Kings would need to finish the overtime job if they wanted to snap the losing streak.
In overtime, the Kings got the job done! The Kings managed to squeak out the win over the Blazers in overtime, outscoring them 10-7. The King received a heroic performance from Malik Monk at the free throw line, crucial to the victory. The Kings leading scorer in victory was Domas Sabonis, who had 27 points. Jerami Grant led the way in defeat for the Blazers with 38 points.
Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday at 7 PM PST. The contest will count towards the NBA in-season tournament.










