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Guard Play Key For Sacramento Kings Against Portland (Game 54 Preview)

By Rafe Wong

PORTLAND, OR - NOVEMBER 18: De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings is seen before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on November 18, 2017 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - NOVEMBER 18: De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings is seen before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on November 18, 2017 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Sacramento Kings will host the Portland Trail Blazers tonight in the Golden 1 Center. This article will highlight the main matchup of the game which is between the group of guards from both teams.

The last time the Sacramento Kings competed against the Portland Trail Blazers was back in November when the purple and white lost to them by a score of 102-90.

Right now, the season series between the two teams is tied at one win each, so the winner of tonight’s game will gain the lead in the season series. Scroll down below to see which matchup will be a key factor in deciding this game.

Battle Between the Guards

I think tonight’s game will be decided based on the guard play from both teams. For the Kings, this group consists of mainly De’Aaron Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Buddy Hield. For the Blazers, these players are Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, and Shabazz Napier.

For the Kings to be successful tonight, their guards need to perform well on both ends of the ball.

Offensively, this means Fox and Bogdanovic need to be aggressive in running the offense. Pushing the tempo and making quick and smart decisions will be ideal for the Kings as a collective whole. For Hield, a good game for him is to be a dynamic scorer. If he is able to make his shots early and get hot, it would help immensely for the Kings’ offense

Defensively, the trio needs to play physical against Portland. It is no secret that the Blazers rely on their guards heavily on offense, especially Lillard and McCollum. So slowing them down tonight would be huge for the Kings in achieving a win.

Final Thoughts

I think the collective guard play from both teams will be the deciding factor for tonight’s game. The trio of Fox, Bogdanovic, and Hield have played well as of late, so going up against premier guards like Lillard and McCollum will be a good test for the young guys.

The Kings are coming off a win against the Chicago Bulls and have had three full days of rest. Will it be enough to beat Portland?

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