The Sacramento Kings were able to survive the wrath of Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers as they earned the 115-107 victory in thrilling fashion.
Game Summary
To start the game, both offenses were sluggish. Both teams could not make their shots and were turning the ball over at an alarming rate. The Kings were able to force eight Blazer turnovers but were unable to take advantage of the opportunities. Luckily for the purple and white, Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley III, and Harry Giles were able to make their shots, but they still trailed 27-24 after one.
To end the first, the Kings were able to gain momentum, and they kept that momentum going into the second quarter. To begin the period, the Kings had their second unit on the floor, and they were terrific. On both ends of the floor, the reserves were playing smart and with a ton of energy which helped their team take control of the lead.
As the quarter went along, it was time for the Sacramento starters to shine. The purple and white continued to play well which resulted in the Kings outscoring the Blazer 30-17 in the quarter, giving the home team a 54-44 lead going into halftime.
In the third quarter, the Kings continued to do work. They had a little hiccup to start the half but dialed in as the game went on. Solid play from both the starters and reserves earned Sacramento an 83-76 lead to end the third.
Once the fourth quarter began, it was time for Sacramento’s second unit to go back to work, and that is exactly what they did. Behind guys like Justin Jackson, Marvin Bagley III, and Harry Giles, the Kings were able to prevent the Blazers from rallying which kept them the lead until the starters came back in. The Blazers were able to gradually cut the Kings’ lead, but in the end, the Kings made enough clutch shots in crunch time which earned them the key win.