Trail Blazers at Kings
The Portland Trail Blazers missed an opportunity to pull into a tie for fifth place in the Western Conference with a loss on Sunday and will try to bounce back when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday. The Trail Blazers are a half-game behind the fading Memphis Grizzlies and are playing their final road game against the Kings before finishing up with three at home.
Damian Lillard went for 38 points on Sunday but could not quite keep pace with Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in a 136-111 road loss. “They ran off a bunch of points and separated themselves,” Lillard told reporters of the decisive run late in the third quarter and early in the fourth on Sunday. “It’s nothing for us to be ashamed of. I don’t think the score said the way the game went.” The Kings are winners of four of their last six games but one of the two losses in that stretch was a 105-93 setback at Portland on March 28. Sacramento rested starters DeMarcus Cousins, Rajon Rondo and Rudy Gay in that contest but should have all three ready for Tuesday’s rematch.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, CSN Northwest (Portland), CSN California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (41-37): Portland had a four-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday but was encouraged by the performance from Lillard, who had failed to score 20 points in any of the previous five games. “Last two games, the ball actually felt good coming off on a lot of my shots that just didn’t go in,” Lillard told reporters. “(Sunday), I saw the ball go in early, got some free throws. I just stuck to the same things, my routines, getting my rest. I came in and it fell.” The Trail Blazers have dropped nine of their last 10 on the road but earned a 98-94 win at Sacramento without Lillard on Dec. 27.
ABOUT THE KINGS (31-46): Cousins is not expected to play in any of the remaining road games for Sacramento and stayed back along with Rondo when the team went to Denver on Saturday. Gay took the opportunity to lead the team in scoring with 25 points while Seth Curry collected 17 points and five assists in another solid performance. The younger brother of Golden State star Stephen Curry, Seth is getting a chance to show what he can do down the stretch and is averaging 15 points in the last six games in an expanded role.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Kings rookie C Willie Cauley-Stein recorded his first double-double since Jan. 21 with 13 points and 14 rebounds in Portland on March 28.
2. Portland SF Maurice Harkless recorded his third triple-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds on Sunday.
3. Sacramento G Marco Belinelli (foot) missed the last five games and is day-to-day.