Trail Blazers at Kings
THE STORY: Portland’s first half of a home-road back-to-back was as easy as it gets. The Trail Blazers beat up on poor Charlotte to the tune of 112-68 Wednesday, handing the Bobcats their 10th straight loss and their worst in franchise history. The Bobcats had no answer for the Blazers, now 10-1 at home. Portland should find the road tougher when it plays at Sacramento on Thursday night. Sacramento is the youngest team in the league with an average age of 24.3 and has taken its lumps, losing five in a row. This is the third of fourth season meetings with the Trail Blazers winning the first two. The Kings fell shy at Golden State on Tuesday, 93-90. Tyreke Evans just missed a triple-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. “I take responsibility for a few things that I did out there that I won’t do again,” said Kings coach Keith Smart, picking his words carefully. "That’s between me and myself.” The Kings are 4-10 since Smart took over for the fired Paul Westphal.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, CS Northwest (Trail Blazers), CS California (Kings)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (13-9): Portland toyed with the Bobcats, who fell to a league-worst 3-20. The reserves basically played the entire second half. Sixth man Jamal Crawford led Portland with 24 points. “I don't think I've played only 26 minutes since my first year in the league,” said Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge. The Blazers, who have won five in a row at Sacramento, shot 55 percent for the game and tied a season-high with 18 steals.
ABOUT THE KINGS (6-15): Guard Marcus Thornton (left thigh hematoma) said he wants to play Thursday but that the decision will be up to team doctors. Thornton has missed the Kings' last four games. The team announced on Jan. 25 that tests had revealed the hematoma, and said that Thornton would miss one to two weeks. “I'm going to go with what the doctors say because they know best, but I'm hoping it's tomorrow,” Thornton said
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Portland has won 11 of the last 12 meetings with the Kings, including the last five in Sacramento.
2. Nicolas Batum, who sat out Wednesday with a knee injury, averaged 19 points in three games against Sacramento last season, his second-best scoring average against any team in 2010-11.
3. In the fourth quarter of the last four games, Sacramento rookie Isaiah Thomas is averaging 11 points and is 9 of 13 from 3-point range.