Trail Blazers at Kings
The Portland Trail Blazers attempt to complete a sweep of a back-to-back set with the Sacramento Kings when they visit Sacramento on Saturday. The Trail Blazers recorded a 104-91 home victory on Friday as LaMarcus Aldridge scored 20 points to become the first Portland player since Clyde Drexler in 1988 to score 20 or more in each of the team’s first five games. DeMarcus Cousins had a huge game with 35 points and nine rebounds but couldn’t prevent Sacramento from losing its fourth straight.
The Trail Blazers dared Cousins to shoot in Friday’s game and figure to try something different in the rematch after the Kings’ center went 13-of-25 from the floor. “I think we needed to be a little bit closer and I thought we made that adjustment,” Portland coach Terry Stotts said afterward. “He finishes around the basket. He’s a strong guy who can convert through fouls. He’s a talented guy.” Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard continued his strong start with 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, KGW (Portland), CSN California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (3-2): Lillard’s latest strong outing makes him the first player in NBA history to have 100 points, 25 rebounds, 25 assists and 20 3-pointers through five games. The point guard is wasting no time improving on his stellar Rookie of the Year season and said after the contest that one of his goals is to have himself and Aldridge discussed as one of the league’s elite duos. “We need to be, we talk about it,” Lillard said. “But we’ve got a great supporting cast. We don’t have to do it all.” Lillard made four 3-pointers against the Kings and joins Toronto’s Damon Stoudamire as only the second NBA player to make three or more 3-pointers in each of his team’s first five games.
ABOUT THE KINGS (1-4): First-round pick Ben McLemore was a non-entity in Friday’s loss to the Trail Blazers and picked up four fouls in seven scoreless minutes. He never took a shot and the disappointing showing followed up back-to-back solid outings in which he hit three 3-pointers in each game while averaging 17 points. McLemore struggled in Sacramento’s first two games of the season as well, when he scored six total points on 2-of-9 shooting. The Kings view the former Kansas star as a future standout in their rebuilding plans and will be patient during his transition phase.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Portland had a 47-31 rebounding edge in Friday’s contest.
2. Kings G Marcus Thornton had five points on 2-of-11 shooting in 40 minutes and has scored seven or fewer points three times in five games.
3. Trail Blazers G Wesley Matthews made two 3-pointers to surpass Drexler and move into fifth place in franchise history with 465 3-pointers.