To nobody’s surprise, Portland’s three-point onslaught continued at the start of the second. Fortunately the Kings also missed plenty of open shots, keeping the margin relatively safe compared to the disaster it could have been. The Blazers missed their other open looks from distance, which was bad. Sharpe hit a three in the closing minutes of the period, as did the other newcomer, Shaquille Harrison. Jump shots were the easiest way to avoid frustration. The Kings encouraged Portland to stay outside by blocking shots or drawing charges on interior attempts. That kept them afloat, barely, as Sacramento continued to score inside, with a Keegan Murray three salted in besides. Portland’s offense didn’t necessarily improve after the brief respite, but they made up for it with offensive rebounds, settling for extra attempts instead of extra accuracy. The Blazers had attempted 8 shots in that span, 6 of them beyond the top of the key. At the first timeout, with 6:30 remaining in the first, Sacramento led 18-14.
But the Kings also hit a couple threes of their own, meaning they equaled Portland’s strong suit, then added more on top. That wouldn’t hurt Portland too much, seeing as their own shots were falling.
Meanwhile Sacramento took 8 of their first 12 shots in the heart of the lane, hitting roughly half of them. The Kings were more that satisfied to let Portland bomb away, likely guessing that low-percentage shots would catch up to them. Matisse Thybulle and newcomer Skylar Mays each hit a triple while Shaedon Sharpe hit a long two. The Blazers started out trying to take advantage of the characteristic that brought them to the dance all year long: distance shooting. Now that you’ve digested that, here’s how the action went. If the Blazers lose out, they will retain that position and a 10.5% chance at the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. As a result, both the Pacers and Magic are stuck at 44 losses, leaving the Blazers in sole possession of the 5th-worst record in the league with five games remaining.
The Indiana Pacers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder last night. The Orlando Magic beat the Washington Wizards with a fourth-quarter rally and have now won four of their last five games. The Blazers earned their 45th loss tonight. We can’t even mention what they did to the bench on their way to a 138-114 victory. Sacramento pounded Portland’s starting lineup of Sharpe, Drew Eubanks, Trendon Watford, Matisse Thybulle, and Skylar Mays. Shaedon Sharpe led his team with 27 points on 10-20 shooting, but that was a drop in the ocean compared to what was needed against the playoffs-bound Kings. The Portland Trail Blazers faced the Sacramento Kings on Friday night with ten (10) players on the injury list.
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