Trail Blazers at Kings
The Portland Trail Blazers have been major disappointments so far this season and try to avoid suffering their seventh defeat in eight games when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday. Portland star point guard Damian Lillard called out his teammates after Saturday's contest when the Trail Blazers were routed 135-90 by the Golden State Warriors.
The 45-point margin against the Warriors represents the largest loss in the NBA this season and Lillard was greatly disturbed with the performance. "This isn't about what the coaches are doing, this is on us," Lillard told reporters. "We have to take responsibility for what's going on. This (expletive) is ridiculous. We've got the talent. We've just got to put it together consistently." Sacramento also is coming off a horrid loss as it established a season low for points with Sunday's 99-79 setback against the woeful Dallas Mavericks. "We've got to come out and be the aggressor, that's just plain and simple," Kings star center DeMarcus Cousins told reporters. "We can't get off to slow starts. We can't let a team gain confidence. We've got to be the aggressors every night."
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, CSN Northwest (Portland), CSN California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (13-16): Portland is one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA by giving up 113 points per game and it allowed an average of 133.5 points in back-to-back setbacks against the Denver Nuggets and the Warriors. The Trail Blazers have been big underachievers this season and swingman Allen Crabbe said it might be time for a players-only meeting. "I feel like guys are speaking out more about how our play is unacceptable and how we have to step up more, so I mean a [meeting] may come, may happen soon," Crabbe told reporters. "It's going to come to a point where everybody is going to be fed up with it. We're pretty fed up with it now. I mean, it's frustrating going to games and just getting beat like this and not even giving ourselves a chance."
ABOUT THE KINGS (10-17): Cousins scored 33 points in the loss to Dallas for his 12th 30-point outing of the campaign and backup point guard Ty Lawson (10 points) was the only other player to reach double digits. Small forward Rudy Gay (hip flexor) sat out the past three games and his scoring punch is badly missed as players like guards Garrett Temple (1-of-10 versus Dallas) and Darren Collison (1-of-8) try unsuccessfully to pick up the slack. Collison is 7-of-30 shooting in the three games Gay has missed while shooting guard Ben McLemore continues to struggle with just two double-digit scoring outings in his past 15 games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Trail Blazers posted a 122-120 overtime win over the Kings on Nov. 11 for their seventh straight victory in the series.
2. Sacramento's last three losses are by an average of 24.7 points.
3. Portland C Festus Ezeli (knee), who hasn't seen any action this season, is reportedly considering season-ending surgery.