Kings vs. Blazers gameday: DeMar DeRozan, Jerami Grant injury news and 3 things to watch
The Kings will have an opportunity to get back to .500 when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday at Moda Center.
The Kings will be shorthanded again with DeMar DeRozan and Trey Lyles out due to injuries. DeRozan has been ruled out for the second game in a row due to lower back muscle inflammation. Lyles will miss at least three to four weeks with a right calf strain.
The Blazers have injury problems of their own. Kris Murray is questionable with a bruised sternum. Jerami Grant (left knee sprain) and Robert Williams III (concussion protocol) are doubtful. Donovan Clingan (left knee sprain) and Matisse Thybulle (right ankle sprain) are out.
The Kings (9-10) snapped a four-game losing streak with an impressive 115-104 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday in Minneapolis. With DeRozan and Lyles out, Jae Crowder started in his Kings debut, just hours after finalizing his contract.
The Blazers (7-12) have lost two in a row and four of their last five after losing to the Indiana Pacers 121-114 on Wednesday in Indianapolis to conclude a five-game road trip. Portland is led by Shaedon Sharpe (18.0 ppg), Anfernee Simons (16.4 ppg), Grant (16.1 ppg), Deandre Ayton (13.5 ppg, 10.7 rpg) and Scoot Henderson (11.7 ppg, 5.4 apg).
DeRozan missed three games in mid-November with lower back tightness. He returned to play three games before the injury flared up following Monday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Here are three things to watch in Friday’s game.
The Crowder effect
Crowder earned the team’s coveted defensive player of the game crown after guarding Julius Randle and Naz Reid in his Kings debut. He finished with eight points, four rebounds and one steal, going 3 of 5 from the field and 2 of 4 from 3-point range.
Crowder exchanged words with Randle and mixed it up with Minnesota fans, bringing an attitude and toughness that could light a fire in the Kings. The 13-year NBA veteran has been to the playoffs each of the last 11 seasons with two NBA Finals appearances since 2020.
Kings need more Malik
Malik Monk recently returned after missing seven games with a right ankle sprain.
Monk struggled a bit in his first game back, a 130-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was held to 14 points, one rebound and three assists while going 4 of 12 from the field, but he found a nice rhythm in Wednesday’s win over the Timberwolves.
Monk came off the bench to put up 27 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. He went 11 of 16 from the field and 3 of 5 from 3-point range. The Kings will need him to continue to provide that kind of spark with DeRozan and Lyles out.
Checking Shaedon Sharpe
The Blazers were missing Shaedon Sharpe when the Kings handed them a 111-98 loss on Oct. 28 in Sacramento.
Sharpe, a 21-year-old, 6-foot-5 guard in his third season out of Kentucky, missed the first eight games of the season with a posterior labral tear in his left shoulder. He has appeared in 11 games, averaging a career-high 18.0 points while shooting just 43.1% from the field and 30.4% from 3-point range.
Sharpe scored 33 points in a 106-98 win over the Timberwolves on Nov. 13. He had 32 points in a 114-110 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Nov. 17.
Kings at Blazers
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Moda Center
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140
Odds: Kings -5.5
Over/under: 222.5
Injury report
Kings: OUT — Devin Carter (shoulder); DeMar DeRozan (back); Trey Lyles (calf).
Blazers: QUESTIONABLE — Kris Murray (sternum). DOUBTFUL — Jerami Grant (knee); Robert Williams III (concussion protocol). OUT — Donovan Clingan (knee); Matisse Thybulle (ankle).
