Trail Blazers-Kings Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Feb 02 2012 2:25AM

A good way for the Portland Trail Blazers to momentarily end their struggles on the road might come with a stop in Sacramento.

The Trail Blazers will try to avoid a season-high fourth consecutive loss away from home Thursday night while looking for a sixth straight road victory over the lowly Kings, who have dropped five in a row.

Portland (13-9) improved to 10-1 at home while scoring its most points of the season during Wednesday's 112-68 rout of Charlotte. The Trail Blazers should be riding high after they shot 55.0 percent and held Charlotte to 32.5 percent shooting en route to the Bobcats' worst loss in franchise history.

"The defense was really good all night long," Portland coach Nate McMillan told the team's official website.

Now, the Trail Blazers hope to carry that success over to the road as they make a quick stop in Sacramento before returning home for a three-game home stretch starting Saturday versus Denver. Though Portland is averaging 90.5 points while going 3-8 on the road - compared to 104.7 points per game at the Rose Garden - it has a good chance for some rare success away from home for at least one night.

Portland has won 11 of 12 overall against the Kings (6-15), and averaged 105.2 points on 48.6 percent shooting during a five-game winning streak at Sacramento that dates to a 103-86 loss there April 11, 2008. The Trail Blazers have already posted a pair of home victories against the Kings this season, holding Sacramento to an average of 84.0 points on 38.9 percent shooting in those contests.

Gerald Wallace, who scored 23 against the Bobcats, has totaled 45 and made 17 of 23 shots in both wins over the Kings this season. Teammate Jamal Crawford had 24 points in 21 minutes versus Charlotte, and scored 26 in a 101-89 victory over Sacramento on Jan. 23.

Kings star DeMarcus Cousins has averaged 20.7 points and 11.7 rebounds in the last three games versus Portland, but none have resulted in a Kings victory.

Cousins had 21 with 14 boards while Tyreke Evans flirted with a triple-double, recording 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Kings fell to 4-10 under coach Keith Smart with a 93-90 loss at Golden State on Tuesday.

"I take responsibility for a few things that I did out there that I won't do again," said Smart, choosing not to elaborate on his coaching Tuesday night. "That's between me and myself.

"It only takes a couple moments in a game, or a quarter, for it to separate."

Ranked near the bottom of the league averaging 90.6 points per game, Sacramento has scored 100 or more points twice this season and none in the last 13 contests.

The Kings could catch a break with Blazers forward Nicolas Batum to miss his second straight game with a left knee bone bruise. One of Portland's key reserves, Batum is averaging 11.4 points and 4.1 rebounds this season.

Thornton scores 20, Kings beat Blazers 95-92

Posted Feb 03 2012 2:08AM

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) John Salmons can't remember a worse shooting slump.

He's hoping the 19 points he scored to help the Sacramento Kings to a rare win over Portland on Thursday night will help him forget it.

Marcus Thornton scored 20 points the Kings, who snapped a five-game losing streak by beating Portland 95-92 Thursday night.

The Blazers had beaten the Kings in 12 of the previous 13 games, but Sacramento ran off five straight points late in the game and held off Portland, which missed two 3-pointers in the final 10 seconds, including a nice look from Jamal Crawford just prior to the buzzer soundings.

Salmons entered the game shooting 35 percent from the field and 21 percent on 3-pointers. After making three 3-pointers and eight of 14 shots overall, Salmons was asked if he had ever shot this poorly for such a prolonged stretch.

"Not this bad. Not this bad," said Salmons, who also had eight rebounds. "It's human nature to be frustrated. But you've got to stay with it and keep going. But it hasn't been easy."

Kings coach Keith Smart understood what this game meant to Salmons, a quiet veteran who normally speaks much louder on the court than he does in the locker room.

"He's too proud of a pro to have a season-long bad game," Smart said. "I always knew that from knowing him around the league as a pro, that somewhere down the line his game is going to come back to him. The guy is really working. I'm happy that he played well, and so is the team."

LaMarcus Aldridge had 28 points and 14 rebounds for the Blazers, who have lost four straight on the road, where they are 3-9 this season. Jamal Crawford scored 17 points and Raymond Felton 15 points and 10 assists. Portland made just 8-of-16 free throws.

Tyreke Evans scored 18 points, Marcus Thornton and Jason Thompson added 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Kings.

Salmons broke an 88-88 tie with a jumper and Thompson put back a shot in traffic, giving the Kings a 92-88 lead with 1:53 left. A jumper by Evans gave Sacramento a 95-90 cushion with 15.2 seconds remaining.

"We've seen this team three times so far, that's how crazy this season has been," Thompson said. "We prepared for them, the extra practice this week helped. We definitely needed this win. It's nice to smile after a game and laugh."

Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, who averaged nearly 21 points and 12 rebounds in the previous games, was in foul trouble early. He played 14 minutes, and didn't leave the bench in the fourth quarter, finishing with eight points and six rebounds.

After squandering a six-point lead and allowing the Blazers to go ahead by a basket, Thornton hit a 3-pointer and next time down court made a fastbreak layup to put the Kings in front 84-81 with five minutes left.

"We really had control of this game and had a flow going," Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. "But in the second half it's pretty much what it has been for us - turnovers, a lot of one-on-one play, and lack of ball movement. We just self-destruct on the road."

Salmons, who entered the game in a season-long slump and was shooting 35 percent, opening the fourth quarter with his third 3-pointer of the game. Isaiah Thomas quickly followed with a basket to give Sacramento a 76-69 advantage.

Evans and Thompson both scored seven points in the third quarter. The Kings overcame nine-point halftime deficit, outscoring Portland 24-13 to take a 71-69 lead into the fourth.

Trailing since early in the first quarter, the Kings pulled even when Evans got loose on a fastbreak and his emphatic dunk tied the game at 63 with 3:39 left in the third period. Evans later followed with a three-point play to give Sacramento a 68-65 lead.

After shooting over 60 percent in the opening half, the Blazers went cold to start the third quarter. They had just two points in the first five minutes before Matthews connected on a 3-pointer for a 61-55 lead.

The Kings had no answer for Aldridge in the opening half. The smooth-shooting forward continually got open for mid-range jumpers and made them, scoring 19 points to help Portland take a 56-47 lead into the half.

The Blazers ran off 11 straight points early in the second quarter to build a 13-point lead. The Blazers received second-quarter points from an unlikely source - Kurt Thomas. The 39-year-old veteran forward scored eight points in the spurt.

NOTES: Kings rookie Jimmer Fredette didn't play for the first time in 22 games. . Aldridge made his first six shots and had 12 points in the opening quarter when the Blazers led 30-27. . Nicolas Batum, a key person off the bench for Portland, missed his second straight game with a bone bruise in his left knee. . Salmons made four of five shots and had 10 first-quarter points.

Notebook: Kings 95, Trail Blazers 92

By James Ham, for NBA.com
Posted Friday February 3, 2012 1:21AM

THE FACTS: The Sacramento Kings erased a nine-point halftime deficit tonight and held on to beat the Portland Trailblazers 95-92 at Power Balance Pavilion.

In his first game back from injury, Marcus Thornton led the Kings with 20 points, hitting 10-for-12 from the free throw line. John Salmons added 19 points and Tyreke Evans tossed in 18 as the Kings Improved to 7-15 on the season.

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 28 for the Blazers, who fell to 3-9 on the road this season.

QUOTABLE: "I feel like I just play with my heart. I just play to win and play my heart out. I feel like, when I'm in the game, them guys play a little harder. They see me going out there trying to get block shots, trying to do whatever I can to win and it gets them amped up a little bit."
-- Rookie point guard Isaiah Thomas said after the win.

THE STAT: The Kings were the more aggressive team tonight, which really showed up at the free throw line. In a 3 point game, the Kings went 22-for-29 from the line, while the Blazers finished just 8-for-16. That is a big 14 point swing.

TURNING POINT: After trailing by nine at the half, Evans flew in for a huge breakaway dunk at the 3:39 mark of the third, tying the game at 63-63 and electrifying the crowd.

HOT: Aldridge was unstoppable in the first half for the Blazers, scoring 19 points on 9-for-11 shooting, while grabbing five boards.

NOT: Jamal Crawford scored 17 points tonight for the Blazers, but took 17 shots to get those points.

GOOD MOVE: Coach Keith Smart sent double teams and traps at Aldridge the entire second half, slowing the big man down. Aldridge finished the game with 28 points, but only scored nine after the intermission.

NOTABLE: Salmons came into tonight's match-up against the Blazers averaging just seven points a game through the Kings first 21 contests. Tonight, he set a season high with19 points on 8-for-14 shooting and played spirited defense against the high-flying Gerald Wallace.

NOTABLE II: After playing in all 21 games this season and starting the last three for the Kings, rookie Jimmer Fredette received his first DNP-CD of his career tonight.

UP NEXT: For the Blazers, Saturday vs. Denver, Monday vs. Oklahoma City, Wednesday vs. Houston. For the Kings, Saturday vs. Golden State, Monday @ Hornets, Tuesday @ Timberwolves.

• Trail Blazers: Batum, Oden
• Kings: Whiteside

• Trail Blazers: --
• Kings: --

• Lead Changes: 9
• Times Tied: 6

• Arena: Power Balance Pavilion, Sacramento, CA
• Officials: #33 Zach Zarba, #35 Kane Fitzgerald, #60 James Williams
• Attendance: 11740
• Duration: 2:15