Kings at Trail Blazers
THE STORY: Sacramento and Portland both recorded season-opening
victories at home on Monday. The Kings had four players in double
figures in their 100-91 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. It was
Sacramento's first home victory against the Lakers in more than three
years and only the second time in 11 meetings the Kings have beaten Los
Angeles. The victory had added significance since it looked as if the
team would be moving out of town when last season ended. "It was nice to
be back," Kings coach Paul Westphal said. "It was wild in there. The
fans were just fantastic." The Trail Blazers, who will be playing at
home for the second straight night, held off a late Philadelphia rally
for a 107-103 win. Portland saw its 95-80 lead cut to three with 16
seconds remaining, but a late defensive stand and a free throw by
Raymond Felton sealed the win.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, CS California (Sacramento), CS Northwest (Portland)
ABOUT THE KINGS (1-0):
Impressive wins don't happen very often to Sacramento, which hasn't
made the playoffs in five years. That's why it will be interesting to
see how the Kings respond after a quick turnaround and a road game.
Marcus Thornton scored a team-high 27 points, including 12 in the fourth
quarter. DeMarcus Cousins recorded a double-double with 12 points and
11 rebounds while Tyreke Evans scored 20 points and John Salmons added
13.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (1-0): Portland has had
nothing but bad news since the lockout ended. Guard Brandon Roy was
forced to retire before the season because of continuing knee injuries.
Center Greg Oden, who hasn't played in two years because of knee
problems, suffered another setback in his comeback and could face a
third operation. At least for one game, the Trail Blazers were able to
forget about their problems. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 25 points while
Gerald Wallace added 21.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Jimmer Fredette, the Kings' No. 1 draft pick, scored six points in 26 minutes in his professional debut Monday.
2.
The Trail Blazers took two of three from the Kings last season with
both wins coming in Sacramento. The Kings won the only matchup in
Portland, 96-81 on Jan. 24.
3. Jamal Crawford, signed after the lockout to replace Roy, scored 12 points in 22 minutes in his Trail Blazers' debut.