It is just like the Kings to play well enough to sucker us into believing and just when the time grows critical for wins and the opportunity arises to take advantage of strong opponents faltering, they poop their pants. The Philadelphia game was theirs to win and yet as soon as the line came out and the Kings were favored, everyone and their grandmother knew they were making money betting on the Sixers. It’s disappointing, frustrating and entirely predictable of a franchise that couldn’t find the NBA post-season if they were at a Buffalo Wild Wings and handed a TV Guide and the remote. All hope that remains falls on the Kings finding a way to win three games in five nights against Damien Lillard, The Toronto Raptors and young Thanos himself, Zion Williamson and his hungry Pelicans. Let’s talk Kings basketball.

When: Saturday, March 7th, 7:00 PST

Where: Moda Center, Portland, OR

TV: NBCSCA

Radio: KHTK Sports 1140 AM

For Your Consideration

Akis From A Rose (Garden): First up in this last desperate attempt for a playoff push will see the Kings face off against the Blazers, the current 9th seed and fellow three-point-five-games-back record holder. The Kings have stepped into the path of a Blazers squad hell bent on reaching the playoffs and justifying that their Western Conference Finals appearance was more than just a fluke. If I’m being honest, this hell-bent thing is more Lillard and fellow star CJ McCollum using their firepower on offense to distract opponents from the rigid cold corpse of the Blazers defense that’s laying in the room behind them, loaded up and stomp into a box, like children on a trashcan full of leaves in the fall, in the hopes that they can hide that box from teams come playoff time. With the Blazer’s bottom in defensive rating and opponent’s points per game, they’ve got half the torso the legs left to hide with a big Hassan Whiteside shaped pool of liquid leaking out from the bottom now for most of the season and its really, really starting to stink.

Tonight’s game will have Lillard newly returned from a groin injury that kept him out of All-Star activities and the subsequent five games after. In his return, the Blazers have gone 1-1 and Lillard has averaged 23 a contest as he gets his legs back from under him. Lillard has always played up to the team that reversed course on drafting him at the last possible second, so anything less than 40 from Lillard tonight would have me believe that he’s still bringing himself back to speed. Also, for the sake of total transparency, I just noticed that in his last two games, Hassan Whiteside has wracked up 24 points, 16 rebounds and 4 blocks against the Wizards and 23 points, 20 rebounds and 4 blocks against the Suns so maybe he doesn’t suck suck. I was also talking about his defense up there and blocks can be deceiving so SUE ME if you think I’m wrong! [Will’s Note: Please don’t sue me.] The Blazers are a potent offensive team and with Lillard back and within sniffing distance of the playoffs, I fear the worst. Then again, Trevor Ariza is playing minutes for the Blazers so it can’t be that bad.

For all you Blazer fans that are stopping by and still reading after I unduly talked shit about Hassan Upside, if you see a gorgeous Greek God walking amongst you regulars in Kings gear, please don’t bother him. Akis needs his solidarity or he starts tweeting from his Tim Maxwell account. Don’t put that pain on us Kings fans.

Prediction

Hassan Whiteside has a 30-30-10 game and the Blazers lose by 15.

Kings: 130, Blazers: 115