The Library Media — Sports · Sports Desk
Avdija Scores 34 as Trail Blazers Pull Away From Kings 120-107
By Adrian Cole
Photo: Quintin Soloviev / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
SACRAMENTO, California — Deni Avdija scored 34 points on 11-of-13 shooting and Damian Lillard added 29 as the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Sacramento Kings 120-107 on Friday night at Golden 1 Center.
Avdija added six rebounds and four assists, while combining with Lillard for 63 points to lead Portland to its third consecutive victory. The Trail Blazers built a lead of as many as 20 points and maintained control through the second half, improving to 9-3.
Portland established an early advantage by scoring 34 points in the opening quarter while limiting Sacramento to 25. The Blazers added 30 points in the second to take a 64-53 lead into halftime. They continued to outscore the Kings in the third quarter before Sacramento made a late push.
Toumani Camara contributed 19 points, including five 3-pointers, giving Portland another key scoring option. The Trail Blazers made a significant difference from long range, outscoring Sacramento 42-24 from 3-point range, according to Covers’ game recap.
Sacramento rookie Darius Acuff Jr. led the Kings with 33 points, according to Covers. His scoring helped the Kings win the fourth quarter 29-27, but the late improvement was not enough to overcome Portland’s earlier lead.
The Trail Blazers’ balanced perimeter attack and efficient scoring from Avdija kept Sacramento from mounting a sustained comeback. Portland finished with 120 points, while the Kings were held to 107.
The victory moved Portland to 9-3 and extended its winning streak to three games. The Trail Blazers also improved to 2-0 against Sacramento this season, having won the first meeting 128-120 on Oct. 23.
The loss dropped the Kings to 1-11, leaving them still searching for consistency during a difficult start to the season.
Adrian Cole
NBA, The Library Media
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