Jamal Crawford leads Portland Trail Blazers to a home win over the Sacramento Kings – NBA Recap
After a rough 2-4 road trip, in which they lost the last three games by a combined margin of 8 points, the Portland Trail Blazers desperately looked to make amends when they took on the lowly Sacramento Kings on Monday night at the Rose Garden.
In the first game of the back-to-back-to-back stretch, the Trail Blazers put aside their recent disappointments and showcased an emphatic performance to beat the Kings 101-89.
After shooting 41 percent on the road trip, the Trail Blazers managed a 46 percent effort this time around. They were led by Jamal Crawford, who came off the bench with a game-high 26 points. Gerald Wallace, the veteran small forward, was not far behind and shot 9-for-12, including a triple, for 20 points and 8 rebounds. LaMarcus Aldridge managed only 13 points on 6 of 14, but more than made up for it on the glass with a game-high 16 boards, including 9 on the offensive end.
Guards Wesley Mathews and Raymond Felton had 14 and 11 respectively while Craig Smith came off the bench for 10 points.
The Kings were led by an 18-13 points-rebounds double-double from DeMarcus Cousins. Rookie Jimmer Fredette had 13 off the bench; Donte Green and Francisco Garcia had 12 each while Isaiah Thomas had 11 points and 8 assists for the Kings, who shot only 40 percent from the floor.
The Kings had the better start to the game and after a 6-0 initial burst, they were leading by 10-5 inside the first four and a half minutes. However it didn’t take long for the hosts to get going and they jumped out to a 10-2 run to take a 15-12 lead. The Kings countered with a 7-0 run, to regain a 4 point advantage, but by the time the first half ended, the scores were tied at 21.
After a tough first 12 minutes, the Trail Blazers made their move in the second frame. They started off with a 12-6 burst and after the Kings again pulled back within two at the midway mark, the Portland outfit blazed its way to a 20-2 foray to take a 53-33 lead inside the last 45 seconds of the first half.
The spurt proved to be decisive in determining the outcome of the game as despite their best effort, the Kings, at any instance failed to bring the deficit in single figures.
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