Trail Blazers 98, Kings 94
Damian Lillard collected 22 points, six rebounds and five assists as Portland held off visiting Sacramento.
Wesley Matthews scored 17 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 10 before leaving in the second quarter with an injured left hand for the Trail Blazers, who snapped a three-game slide. Lillard went 8-of-11 from the free-throw line but had two of Portland’s six misses from the stripe in the final 2:31.
DeMarcus Cousins (ankle) came back after a one-game absence and collected 22 points and 19 rebounds for the Kings. Rudy Gay added 26 points and Darren Collison had 13 points and eight assists as Sacramento dropped its fourth straight.
Nicolas Batum capped a 12-2 run with a 3-pointer to give the Trail Blazers an 84-83 lead with 5:03 to play. Collison found Cousins for a jumper and drove for a layup to put the Kings back in front, but Sacramento committed six turnovers and did not make a field goal the rest of the way as Portland finished the game with a 14-7 run.
The Kings led by as much as 13 points in the first quarter and but settled for a 56-51 lead at the break after the Trail Blazers battled back in the second. Gay’s 3-pointer put Sacramento in front 71-60 with 5:07 remaining in the third and it was an eight-point cushion heading to the fourth.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Aldridge went to slap the ball out of Cousins’ hands on a drive in the paint and came away shaking his hand before being replaced. … The Kings have lost 15 of their last 20 games. … Collison added seven rebounds as Sacramento built up a 53-35 advantage on the glass.