Kings-Trail Blazers Preview

By MIKE LIPKA
Posted Dec 25 2012 2:07PM

The Sacramento Kings didn't need their leading scorer and rebounder to beat the Portland Trail Blazers in their most recent game.

DeMarcus Cousins will at least be at the Rose Garden on Wednesday night, but it remains to be seen if he'll make it onto the court.

The volatile big man has been reinstated from his suspension in time for the second leg of this home-and-home set, but coach Keith Smart was noncommittal about whether he'll play.

Cousins had already been suspended twice by the NBA this season before he exchanged words with Smart at halftime during a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. He did not play in the second half, and the Kings (9-18) announced an indefinite suspension for "unprofessional behavior and conduct detrimental to the team."

The ban lasted only one game - a 108-96 win Sunday over Portland - and Cousins practiced Monday. It may have helped that he was quickly contrite.

"I'm a player that definitely wants to win every night, and I'm an emotional player. That's never going to change," Cousins said over the weekend. "But I shouldn't have responded back. Something was said, and I just should have stayed quiet. Is it a humbling thing? Yeah, I will say that. I mean, I messed up and I apologize to my teammates for responding the way I did and I'll move on from it."

Cousins averages 16.6 points and 9.5 rebounds, but he's shooting just 31.6 percent in his last five games. Smart was cautious in discussing the third-year center's role in the immediate future.

"He's been reinstated, but that doesn't mean he's playing right away," the coach told the Kings' official website. "But he's back around the team and came back (Monday) and apologized to the team and to me, as well. We'll just move forward."

With Tyreke Evans also out with a sore left knee, Marcus Thornton stepped up Sunday with 22 points to lead six Sacramento players in double figures. Thornton has averaged 17.3 points in his last three games after missing the previous four for personal reasons.

"I thought they played very well without their key players," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "In this league when players are missing for whatever reasons the other players take that as an opportunity to play well."

Sacramento now seeks its third straight win over the Trail Blazers (13-13) as these teams finish their four-game season series. The Kings also won 99-80 in Portland on Dec. 8, their only victory in 12 road games this season.

They snapped the Blazers' five-game winning streak Sunday as Portland allowed the Kings to post season highs with 55.6 percent shooting and 31 assists.

"I just think it was one of those games where the other team played better than us," Blazers rookie Damian Lillard said. "There probably were some defensive mistakes we made that we shouldn't have and they took advantage of it."

Portland was without Wesley Matthews due to a hip injury, and his status is unclear for Wednesday's game. Rookie Victor Claver started in his place Sunday and had two points on 1-of-5 shooting.

The Blazers should still like their chances at the Rose Garden, where they've won eight of their last nine and five straight since losing to the Kings there.

Trail Blazers run away from Kings, 109-91

By JOEL FOWLKS
Posted Dec 27 2012 1:27AM

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) The Portland Trail Blazers wanted to put Sunday's loss to Sacramento behind them as quickly as possible.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 28 points and 12 rebounds, and the Blazers beat the Kings 109-91 Wednesday night to earn their revenge.

"The way we played (three) days ago wasn't us," said Nicolas Batum, who had 18 points for Portland. "We wanted to get back on track against this team. It was so good to beat them in a big way."

J.J. Hickson added 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Blazers, who built a double-digit lead in the second quarter and then ran away from the Kings, leading by as many as 26 points. Rookie point guard Damian Lillard had 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.

John Salmons led the Kings with 19 points. Reserve Isaiah Thomas had 12 points and Jason Thompson added 11. The Kings are 1-12 on the road this season - the only win coming Dec. 8 against the Blazers.

Portland has won nine of its last 10 games at home. The Blazers tied up the season series with the Kings after losing to them 108-96 on Sunday in Sacramento, which snapped the Blazers' five-game winning streak. Sacramento shot 56 percent from the field in that game, but after a good start Wednesday, went cold and shot just 40 percent for the game.

"We knew we got away from it in Sacramento," Lillard said. "We focused more on defense. The last game, we just lost it. They took us to the rim and got what they wanted on offense. We just had to make a point to play better defense."

Sacramento took a pounding in the post without leading scorer and rebounder DeMarcus Cousins, who did not make the trip despite being reinstated from an indefinite suspension.

Cousins had been suspended after an argument with coach Keith Smart during halftime of a game Friday. Cousins missed Sunday's game, but practiced Monday after the suspension was lifted. Still, Smart chose to keep him home Wednesday. Without him, the Kings were outrebounded 53-35.

"Obviously, everyone played well at home and we didn't have that tonight," Smart said. "They rebounded the ball well and got out on the fast break."

The Blazers took a 62-44 lead into halftime after an electrifying first half in which they shot 57 percent. The game was tied at 37 in the second quarter but Sacramento's turnovers and defensive breakdowns allowed Portland to go on a 25-7 run into halftime, punctuated by rim-shaking dunks by Hickson, Lillard and rookie center Meyers Leonard.

"They just got going and it's hard to stop a team that gets it going at home," Thomas said. "Especially when they have shooters and guys that can go to the hole and dunk."

Notes: The Kings have lost seven of their last nine in Portland. . . . Sacramento G Tyreke Evans sat out for the fifth straight game with a sore left knee that has kept him out of 10 games this season. . . . Portland was playing without G Wesley Matthews, who has missed two straight with a hip injury. . . . Hickson has nine straight double-doubles, the most for a Blazer since Kermit Washington in 1980.

Notebook: Trail Blazers 109, Kings 91

Stephen Alexander, for NBA.com
Posted Thu Dec 27, 2012 1:58 AM - Updated Thu Dec 27, 2012 1:58 AM

THE FACTS: After the Kings snapped the Blazers' five-game win streak on Sunday, the Trail Blazers took it to the Kings on Wednesday night with a convincing 109-91 victory at the Rose Garden.

QUOTABLE: "It was a solid win for us. We tightened up our defense in the second and third quarters and made our runs because of our defense. We got energy into the game."
-- Blazers coach Terry Stotts

THE STAT: Portland dominated the post, outscoring Sacramento 50-36 in the paint and outrebounding the Kings 53-35.

TURNING POINT: The Blazers had already taken a commanding lead in the second quarter. Then, with time running out, Nicolas Batum sank a 25-foot 3-pointer from the right side of the arc to give the Blazers a 62-44 lead.

QUOTABLE II: "We had turnovers they hit some open 3s, they had dunks, they got the crowd into it. They just got it going and it's hard to stop a team that gets it going at home, especially when they have shooters and guys that can go to the hole and dunk, and things like that."
-- Kings guard Isaiah Thomas

HOT: Blazers center J.J. Hickson recorded his ninth consecutive double-double. That is the most consecutive double-doubles for a Blazer since Mychal Thompson in 1981. Hickson's double-double run is now the most by a Blazer since Kermit Washington in '80.

NOT: Kings center DeMarcus Cousins. The 6-foot-11 center was suspended from the Kings during their 108-96 win over the Blazers on Sunday because of "unprofessional behavior and conduct detrimental to the team." Cousins has since been reinstated but he did not make the trip with the Kings to Portland.

GOOD MOVE: Without Cousins in the lineup, the Blazers pounded the Kings inside all night on offense and made a conscientious effort to shut off Sacramento's perimeter game. The Blazers owned both the paint and the glass and with Portland's defense bearing down on the Kings' wings and no threat for Sacramento in the post, the Kings offense struggled.

BAD MOVE: The Kings allowed the Blazers to move the ball around the court at will. Portland controlled the tempo of the game with its passing and finished the night with 31 assists.

NOTABLE: Three Blazers recorded double-doubles: Hickson (17 points, 14 assists), LaMarcus Aldridge (28 points, 12 rebounds) and Damian Lillard (17 points and 11 assists). Lillard was just two rebounds shy of a triple-double.

UP NEXT: For the Kings, Friday vs. New York, Sunday vs. Boston, Tuesday at Detroit. For the Blazers, Friday vs. L.A. Lakers, Saturday vs. Philadelphia, Tuesday at New York.

• Kings: Evans
• Trail Blazers: Matthews, Williams

• Kings: --
• Trail Blazers: --

• Lead Changes: 2
• Times Tied: 7

• Arena: Rose Garden, Portland, OR
• Officials: #26 Pat Fraher, #7 Kevin Fehr, #9 Derrick Stafford
• Attendance: 20545
• Duration: 2:01