PORTLAND, Ore. – All it took was about three minutes for a close game to become a blowout.

It's a trend the Kings know all too well.

This time it was the Portland Trail Blazers who blitzed the Kings with a 13-0 run in the second quarter to put away the Kings in what became a 101-89 loss for Sacramento on Monday night at the Rose Garden.

"The name of the game is to put the ball in the basket – and when you can't do that it puts pressure on you now, having to get a stop over and over again," said Kings coach Keith Smart. "Against a good team they're going to continue to get second-chance opportunities to score if you can't get a basket to keep the game even or break a run."

The Kings entered the game with the worst team shooting percentage in the NBA (39.3 percent). They are allowing teams to shoot 47.4 percent, the second-worst field-goal percentage in the league.

The Kings stayed true to form, shooting just 40 percent and allowing the Blazers to shoot 46.6 percent.

It appeared the Kings might be able to hang with the Blazers early. They trailed 33-31 with 6:25 left in the second quarter.

With 2:52 left in the quarter the Kings were down 46-31 and never got back in the game following that run by the Blazers (10-7).

The Kings could get no closer than 13 points the rest of the game.

"For the most part, all of our games, we've been in the game," Kings forward Jason Thompson said. "But maybe for a three- to five-minute stretch in any quarter the game gets away from us. That shows the youth or our team.

"Sometimes with the older teams they may have that stretch, but they come right back."

Smart said the Kings are competing hard on defense, but their struggles on offense make it hard to overcome themselves.

"That's something we have to try and grow out of," Smart said. "Our players have to get to the point where they can shoot and make open shots because we get the initial stop, and then we have to come down and make a play and we just can't make a play."

The loss was the second in a row on the three-game trip that began with a win at San Antonio.

After that Friday night victory, the Kings (6-12) reverted back to being blown out on the road.

Illustrative of their struggles away from home, the 12-point loss was actually the closest the Kings have been in a road loss this season.

"Young players get down when they're not making shots and when you get down you lose energy," Smart said. "And energy is required for you to be a good defensive team. … When you're not making shots, your head drops a little bit and you don't have the same fire you had before. We have to grow through this."

DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

The Blazers were led by guard Jamal Crawford, who scored 26 points off the bench. He took less money to sign with Portland instead of the Kings before the season.

Crawford also noticed the lack of energy from the Kings.

"Sacramento is a team that likes to get up and down the court," Crawford said. "So if you can kind of take that away from them, get some steals, get some easy baskets, it kind of breaks their will a little bit."

That can happen in about three minutes.

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