Portland Trail Blazers hand Kings fourth consecutive loss with four starters out of lineup
The Kings have a bad habit of losing to shorthanded teams when their best players are out of the lineup. They did it again Sunday night.
This time it was the Portland Trail Blazers who rolled through the Kings despite the absence of four starters. Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Larry Nance Jr., and Norman Powell were all out due to injuries and illness, but the Blazers didn’t need them.
Anfernee Simons looked like a star in the 12th start of his four-year NBA career, putting up a game-high 31 points and six assists to lead the Blazers to a 103-88 victory over the Kings at Moda Center in Portland. Simons made 10 of 17 from the field and 7 of 11 from 3-point range.
The Kings have lost four in a row and eight of 11 to fall to 12th in the Western Conference, a half-game behind the San Antonio Spurs and Blazers for the final play-in spot.
“I think right now we’re lacking a little bit of confidence and we’ve got to find a way to get our mojo back,” interim Kings coach Alvin Gentry said.
Jusuf Nurkic nearly posted a triple-double, finishing with 14 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists for the Blazers (15-24). Former Kings guard Ben McLemore scored 13 points in his first start of the season.
Tyrese Haliburton had 17 points and nine assists for the Kings (16-26). Alex Len had 16 points and 10 rebounds. De’Aaron Fox was held to 14 points after recording three consecutive 30-point games.
The Kings got some good news before the game when Fox, who was questionable with right shoulder soreness, and Chimezie Metu, who missed three games due to NBA health and safety protocols, were both cleared to play. The Kings seemingly had an advantage with Lillard (abdomen), McCollum (lung), Nance (knee) and Powell (health and safety protocols) out of the Blazers lineup, but Portland proved otherwise while building a 53-40 halftime lead.
The Kings were held to 40 points in the first half against a Blazers squad that ranks 27th in the NBA in scoring defense, allowing an average of 113.3 points per game. They finished with a season-low 88 points, the 11th time this season they have been held under the century mark.
“We’re not in a position to have pity parties,” Gentry said. “It’s the old adage about ‘tough times don’t last, tough people do.’ We’ve got to make sure that we’re the tough people that survive in this thing because it’s no fun at all, what we’re going through right now.”
Haliburton said the Kings are trying to talk through their issues, but talk is not enough.
“We’re having constant conversations, harping on different things, just talking about it as much as we can,” Haliburton said. “I think a lot of guys care, but it’s one thing to say something. It’s another thing to do something. As a unit, we can talk about it as much as we want. Until it’s performed out there, it don’t mean nothing.”
Fox said the Kings can’t quit, saying he still believes they have a chance to reach the postseason.
“Obviously, everyone here wants to be a playoff team, so you definitely don’t let go of the rope no matter where you are in the season,” Fox said. “We still have something to play for and we can still get there. We just lost four in a row. If we win four or five in a row, you’re in a totally different spot. You keep playing because we can control our own destiny.”
This story was originally published January 10, 2022 at 12:00 AM.
