Trail Blazers end skid with win over Kings
PORTLAND, Ore. -- CJ McCollum scored 20 points and passed out seven assists as the Portland Trail Blazers ended a six-game losing streak with a 102-89 victory over the Sacramento Kings Wednesday night at Moda Center.
Meyers Leonard came off the bench to match his season high with 16 points for the Trail Blazers (14-20), who had lost 10 of their previous 11 outings. Mason Plumlee added 10 points and 14 rebounds for Portland.
DeMarcus Cousins delivered 28 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Kings (14-18), who had won four in a row. Garrett Temple added 14 points for Sacramento.
The Blazers shot .473 from the field, including 12 for 25 (.480) from 3-point range. The Kings fired at only a .392 clip and were 9 for 28 (.321) on 3-point attempts.
Allen Crabbe scored 13 points and Leonard 11 to stake Portland to a 60-44 lead at halftime.
The Blazers upped the margin to 67-47 early in the third quarter before the Kings used a 10-2 rally to get within 69-57. Portland took a 75-63 lead into the fourth quarter.
Sacramento got it to 77-69 on a Cousins 3-pointer, and was still within 87-78 midway through the final period. But Moe Harkless sank a trey to make it 90-78 with 4:15 left, and on the play, Cousins was assessed a technical foul. McCollum sank the ensuing free throw.
The Kings closed to within 98-89 with 1:42 remaining, but Plumlee's dunk with 49 seconds to go wrapped it up for the Blazers.
Portland jumped to an 18-10 lead and took a 30-21 advantage into the second quarter.
The Blazers increased the difference to 46-30 on a Leonard 3-pointer midway through the second period. It was 54-37 before the Kings scored five in a row to cut it to 54-42. Portland stoked the edge up to 16 at the break.
NOTES: Portland was without G Damian Lillard (ankle) for the second consecutive game. ... Sacramento F Rudy Gay, who returned for Monday's win over Philadelphia after missing the previous six games with a hip flexor strain, aggravated the injury and did not play against the Blazers. ... The Kings beat the Blazers 126-121 at home on Dec. 20, but Portland won the previous seven meetings between the teams. ... Sacramento has three former UCLA players (G Darren Collison, G Arron Afflalo and F Matt Barnes) and three ex-Kentucky Wildcats (C DeMarcus Cousins, C Willie Cauley-Stein and F Skal Labissiere) on its roster. ... Cousins scored 55 points -- one shy of his career high -- in the last matchup with Portland. "He did a little bit of everything," Portland coach Terry Stotts said.