The Sacramento Kings dropped to 0-2 Friday night following a 128-120 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Sacramento did bounce back from an ugly loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in its season opener, with a more competitive performance against Portland.
The Kings led 33-27 after the first quarter and held a 64-59 lead going into halftime before the Trail Blazers took control in the second half, outscoring Sacramento 69-56. The Kings shot 46% from the field and struggled from three (26%). Despite shooting 93% from the free-throw line, the Kings couldn’t overcome a Portland offense that finished with 30 assists.
The two key aspects of this game were Darius Acuff Jr. and Domantas Sabonis. Acuff Jr. delivered a nice performance after a difficult NBA debut against the Clippers. Acuff led Sacramento with 33 points, four assists and two rebounds in 37 minutes, shooting 10-of-26 from the field and 2-of-11 from three. After scoring 11 in the first half, the rookie dropped 22 in the second half by attacking the basket and creating off the dribble. While his three remains a work in progress, Acuff showed confidence and aggressiveness throughout the game. What was most encouraging was his composure in crunch time. He looked comfortable handling the pressure, played under control and made solid decisions. It was an encouraging performance.
Domantas Sabonis was flat out impressive, recording a triple-double with 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists while going 10-of-13 from the field. Unlike in game 1, Sabonis controlled much of Sacramento’s offense with many of the offensive possessions starting with him at the top of the key making decisions. It worked out well.
Did the Kings actually learn something from game 1 and adjust?
Zach LaVine added 22 points, though he forced a lot down the stretch and I would have liked to see more shots from Sabonis and Acuff then. Precious Achiuwa contributed 14 points and six rebounds off the bench. Keegan Murray finished with 12 points after scoring just two in the season opener (he was not part of the lineup in crunch time).
Malik Monk made his season debut but struggled, going scoreless on 0-of-6 shooting. He did add two assists and served as the backup point guard.
Sacramento’s defensive issues continue to be an issue. The Kings allowed at least 120 points for the second consecutive game.
Next up is Cameron Boozer and the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.
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