The Sacramento Kings saw their four-game winning streak come to a halt last night, falling to the Portland Trail Blazers in a competitive battle that slipped away in the second quarter. While the loss stings-especially at home-there’s still plenty to take away from the effort, and it’s clear this team is trending in the right direction.
Let’s not forget where Sacramento started this season. After a brutal opening stretch that had them buried at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, the Kings have begun to find their rhythm.
This recent four-game win streak-just their second stretch of back-to-back wins all season-offered a glimpse of what this squad is capable of when things click. And even in the loss to Portland, they showed fight.
This wasn’t exactly a surprising result. The Blazers have had the Kings’ number this season, having already beaten them twice in back-to-back games earlier in the year. With Portland coming into Sacramento again, the matchup carried a sense of unfinished business-but the Kings couldn’t quite flip the script.
Outside of a rough second quarter, Sacramento held its own. The final margin was just seven points, and while some key players had quiet nights, there were still standout performances worth highlighting.
DeMar DeRozan, Precious Achiuwa, Nique Clifford, and Dennis Schroder all had off nights offensively, which certainly didn’t help the Kings’ chances. But Zach LaVine still managed to drop 18 points, even if it wasn’t his most efficient outing. LaVine’s shot wasn’t falling the way it usually does, but he stayed aggressive and continued to look for his spots.
Russell Westbrook, meanwhile, brought his trademark intensity. The veteran guard poured in 23 points to go along with three rebounds, seven assists, and three steals.
He was everywhere-pushing the pace, creating for teammates, and getting his hands in passing lanes. It was the kind of all-around performance that’s become his calling card.
And then there’s rookie big man Dylan Cardwell, who continues to endear himself to Kings fans with his energy and effort. Cardwell recorded his first career double-double, finishing with 12 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block before fouling out.
He was a force on the glass and brought a defensive presence that gave Sacramento a spark. Fouling out is part of the learning curve, but this was a milestone night for the rookie.
Fellow rookie Maxime Raynaud had a tougher go of it. The starting center struggled to find his touch, shooting just 3-for-11 from the field.
Still, he chipped in six points, grabbed nine boards, and added an assist and a block. The shooting percentage-just 27.3%-is something he’ll want to clean up, but the activity on the boards and defensive effort were positives.
Bottom line: the Kings didn’t play their best basketball, but they didn’t fall apart either. This was a game they were in until the end, and that’s a sign of growth. With two more games left on this home stand before a tough six-game road trip, Sacramento has a chance to build on what they’ve started.
The streak may be over, but the momentum doesn’t have to be.