Game ID: 22301200
Portland Trail Blazers @ Sacramento Kings
Sunday, April 14, 2024 at 3:30 PM ET
Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
SAC 30 35 34 22 121POR 18 19 21 24 82
POR @ SAC ScoutingPOR @ SAC Scouting
Welcome to the scouting desk. The coffee is cold, the film is play-by-play, and somebody has to explain what happened.
Every game has a hinge — a stretch where it was decided, usually while everyone was watching something else. Start where the evidence lives: the Lineups' face-offs say which five actually won their minutes; the Possessions ledger says who ran ahead of the night's own pace; the Shot Chart says where the points really came from, which is rarely where the highlights were. When all three agree, that is the story. When they don't — that is why this desk has a chair.
SAC availability going into 4/07 · 1 day's restBACK Lyles back 3/31 after 9, 23 min since (114% of 20)
BACK Vezenkov back 3/31 after 22, 12 min since (97% of 12)
NEW Ellis 17 to 27 min over the last 5
NEW Mitchell 15 to 23 min over the last 5
SAC availability going into 4/09 · 1 day's restBACK Lyles back 3/31 after 9, 24 min since (120% of 20)
BACK Vezenkov back 3/31 after 22, 10 min since (82% of 12)
NEW Ellis 17 to 23 min over the last 5
NEW Mitchell 15 to 25 min over the last 5
SAC availability going into 4/11 · 1 day's restNEW Ellis 17 to 25 min over the last 5
NEW Mitchell 15 to 25 min over the last 5
SAC availability going into 4/12 · back-to-backNEW Ellis 17 to 25 min over the last 5
NEW Mitchell 15 to 25 min over the last 5
SAC availability going into 4/14 · 1 day's restNEW Murray 34 to 39 min over the last 5
NEW Ellis 17 to 26 min over the last 5
NEW Mitchell 15 to 24 min over the last 5
POR availability going into 4/07 · 1 day's restOUT Simons missed 7 since 3/23, out tonight
OUT Sharpe missed 40 since 1/12, out tonight
OUT Thybulle missed 3 since 4/01, out tonight
OUT Badji missed 3 since 4/01, out tonight
OUT Moore missed 30 since 1/31, out tonight
BACK Ayton back 3/29 after 4, 35 min since (107% of 32)
BACK Minaya back 4/05 after 2, 26 min since (228% of 11)
NEW Henderson 28 to 35 min over the last 5
NEW Walker 24 to 35 min over the last 5
NEW Murray 22 to 31 min over the last 5
NEW Rupert 16 to 33 min over the last 5
POR availability going into 4/09 · 1 day's restOUT Simons missed 8 since 3/23, out tonight
OUT Sharpe missed 41 since 1/12, out tonight
OUT Thybulle missed 4 since 4/01, out tonight
OUT Hagans missed 2 since 4/05, out tonight
OUT Badji missed 4 since 4/01, out tonight
OUT Moore missed 31 since 1/31, out tonight
BACK Ayton back 3/29 after 4, 35 min since (107% of 32)
BACK Minaya back 4/05 after 2, 24 min since (217% of 11)
NEW Henderson 28 to 36 min over the last 5
NEW Walker 24 to 38 min over the last 5
NEW Murray 22 to 31 min over the last 5
NEW Rupert 16 to 32 min over the last 5
POR availability going into 4/11 · 1 day's restOUT Simons missed 9 since 3/23, out tonight
OUT Sharpe missed 42 since 1/12, out tonight
OUT Thybulle missed 5 since 4/01, out tonight
OUT Hagans missed 3 since 4/05, returns tonight: 14 min (82% of 17)
OUT Badji missed 5 since 4/01, out tonight
OUT Moore missed 32 since 1/31, out tonight
BACK Minaya back 4/05 after 2, 23 min since (208% of 11)
NEW Henderson 28 to 36 min over the last 5
NEW Walker 24 to 37 min over the last 5
NEW Murray 22 to 30 min over the last 5
NEW Rupert 16 to 33 min over the last 5
POR availability going into 4/12 · back-to-backOUT Simons missed 10 since 3/23, out tonight
OUT Sharpe missed 43 since 1/12, out tonight
OUT Thybulle missed 6 since 4/01, out tonight
OUT Badji missed 6 since 4/01, out tonight
OUT Moore missed 33 since 1/31, out tonight
BACK Hagans back 4/11 after 3, 14 min since (82% of 17)
BACK Minaya back 4/05 after 2, 25 min since (222% of 11)
NEW Henderson 28 to 37 min over the last 5
NEW Walker 24 to 36 min over the last 5
NEW Murray 22 to 34 min over the last 5
NEW Rupert 16 to 32 min over the last 5
POR availability going into 4/14 · 1 day's restOUT Simons missed 11 since 3/23, out tonight
OUT Sharpe missed 44 since 1/12, out tonight
OUT Thybulle missed 7 since 4/01, out tonight
OUT Badji missed 7 since 4/01, returns tonight: 10 min (99% of 10)
OUT Moore missed 34 since 1/31, returns tonight: 30 min (298% of 10)
BACK Hagans back 4/11 after 3, 14 min since (82% of 17)
BACK Minaya back 4/05 after 2, 26 min since (228% of 11)
NEW Banton 29 to 35 min over the last 4
NEW Henderson 28 to 36 min over the last 5
NEW Walker 24 to 31 min over the last 5
NEW Murray 22 to 36 min over the last 5
NEW Rupert 16 to 31 min over the last 5
I Know — the desk, before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Sacramento comes in 1-4 over its last five, scoring 108 a night and allowing 107, shooting 42 percent and 35 from three, 18 free throws a game; Fox at 30 and Murray at 17 a game. That is 3 straight losses. One day's rest. Portland comes in 1-4 over its last five, scoring 103 a night and allowing 110, shooting 41 percent and 32 from three, 18 free throws a game; Ayton at 23 and Banton at 22 a game. That is 4 straight losses. It has won the glass by 6 a night. Without Simons (11 straight), Sharpe (44 straight), Thybulle (7 straight). One day's rest.
So: Sacramento wins, in a game with no one edge to lean on. Call it Sacramento 114, Portland 106.
4/07 @ BKN 107-77 — SAC notes
SAC won 107-77. SAC shot 43% (40 of 94) to BKN's 35%, 15 of 48 from three. SAC turned it over 9 times to BKN's 16. Fox led with 20 (8 of 20, 3 of 11 from three); Murray added 19, Sabonis 18. The hinge was Q4, 29-13: a lead of 14 became 30, and the lead reached 33. Lyles was the night's best plus/minus at +37.
4/09 @ OKC 105-112 — SAC notes
SAC lost 105-112. SAC took 16 more shots (96 to 80), fed by 21 offensive rebounds, but shot 34% to OKC's 49%, 20 of 58 from three. The glass went 56-42 for them. Fox led with 33 (12 of 29, 7 of 17 from three); Ellis added 26, Murray 15. Q2 was theirs, 33-17, but the other 3 periods went 95-72 against them. They led by as many as 20. Sabonis's -18 in 34 minutes was the worst on the floor.
4/11 vs NOP 123-135 — SAC notes
SAC lost 123-135. SAC shot 55% (46 of 84) to NOP's 57%, 16 of 38 from three. Fox led with 33 (11 of 18, 3 of 7 from three, 8 of 10 at the line); Barnes added 22, Murray 19. Q2 was theirs, 35-30, the deficit cut from 11 to 6, but the other 3 periods went 105-88 against them. Barnes's -18 in 32 minutes was the worst on the floor.
4/12 vs PHX 107-108 — SAC notes
SAC lost 107-108. SAC took 15 more shots (91 to 76), but shot 44% to PHX's 53%, 14 of 38 from three. SAC turned it over 7 times to PHX's 18. Sabonis led with 25 (9 of 18, 2 of 3 from three, 5 of 6 at the line); Murray added 23, Fox 23. Q1 was theirs, 27-22, but the other 3 periods went 86-80 against them. They led by as many as 16. Ellis's -13 in 33 minutes was the worst on the floor.
4/14 vs POR 121-82 — SAC notes
SAC won 121-82. SAC shot 49% (43 of 87) to POR's 32%, 13 of 34 from three, and went to the line 27 times to POR's 17 — 22 points from the stripe to their 13. Fox led with 24 (10 of 14, 2 of 3 from three); Sabonis added 18, Barnes 17. The hinge was Q2, 35-19: a lead of 12 became 28, and the lead reached 44. Barnes was the night's best plus/minus at +37.
4/07 @ BOS 107-124 — POR notes
POR lost 107-124. POR took 15 more shots (102 to 87), fed by 22 offensive rebounds, but shot 39% to BOS's 56%, 14 of 38 from three. The glass went 53-40 for them. Banton led with 28 (11 of 23, 3 of 9 from three); Ayton added 22, Henderson 15. Q2 was theirs, 32-33, but the other 3 periods went 91-75 against them. Rupert's -24 in 33 minutes was the worst on the floor.
4/09 vs NOP 100-110 — POR notes
POR lost 100-110. POR shot 47% (40 of 85) to NOP's 41%, 13 of 38 from three, and got to the line just 8 times against 19 fouls committed. POR turned it over 21 times to NOP's 9, and NOP turned those into 13 steals. Ayton led with 30 (15 of 22); Henderson added 19, Murray 14. Q2 was theirs, 28-24, turning a 1-point deficit into a 3-point lead, but the other 3 periods went 86-72 against them. They led by as many as 11. Henderson's -31 in 41 minutes was the worst on the floor.
4/11 vs GSW 92-100 — POR notes
POR lost 92-100. POR took 20 more shots (97 to 77), fed by 20 offensive rebounds, but shot 36% to GSW's 47%, 8 of 34 from three. Ayton led with 25 (12 of 24); Henderson added 18, Walker 17. Q3 was theirs, 28-26, the deficit cut from 3 to 1, but the other 3 periods went 74-64 against them. Minaya's -20 in 29 minutes was the worst on the floor.
4/12 vs HOU 107-116 — POR notes
POR lost 107-116. POR shot 39% (37 of 95) to HOU's 48%, 12 of 35 from three, and went to the line 29 times to HOU's 20 — 21 points from the stripe to their 17. Henderson led with 30 (10 of 23, 6 of 7 from three); Banton added 28, Murray 10. Q3 was theirs, 35-30, the deficit cut from 14 to 9, but the other 3 periods went 86-72 against them.
4/14 @ SAC 82-121 — POR notes
POR lost 82-121. POR took 11 more shots (98 to 87), fed by 23 offensive rebounds, but shot 32% to SAC's 49%, 7 of 45 from three, and got to the line 17 times to SAC's 27. Banton led with 17 (6 of 26, 0 of 15 from three, 5 of 6 at the line); Reath added 14, Moore 12. Q4 was theirs, 24-22, the deficit cut from 41 to 39, but the other 3 periods went 99-58 against them. Minaya's -40 in 38 minutes was the worst on the floor.
Who is who
the initials in the Players column
PORDB D. Banton
DR D. Reath
IB I. Badji
JM J. Minaya
KM K. Murray
MB M. Brown
RR R. Rupert
TM T. Moore
SACAL A. Len
AV A. Vezenkov
CD C. Duarte
CJ C. Jones
DF D. Fox
DM D. Mitchell
DS D. Sabonis
HB H. Barnes
JM J. McGee
JS J. Slawson
KE K. Edwards
KE K. Ellis
MJ M. Jones
TL T. Lyles
POR/SAC the team itself, not a player
-- the feed named nobody
What
What happened
the codes in the Events column
M2 / M3 made 2 / made 3
X2 / X3 missed 2 / missed 3
FT / X1 free throw made / missed
AST assist
OR / DR offensive / defensive rebound
STL steal
BLK block
TO turnover
FL foul
OF offensive foul — ends the possession
VIOL violation
JUMP jump ball
TM timeout
IR instant replay
HE heave at the buzzer, filed to the team
END the clock ran out, ball in hand
Where
Where a shot came from
the middle field of M3.LW.25
RM at the rim inside 4 ft
RC right corner
RW right wing
SO straight on
LW left wing
LC left corner
M3.LW.25 made 3, left wing, 25 ft
X2.RM.01 missed 2, at the rim, 1 ft
When
When it happened
the Offset column
one number per event, in the Events order:
whole seconds from the start of the
possession to that event
Events FL X3.RC.23 OR M2.RM.01
Offset 0 18 22 24
the foul opens the possession at 0s;
the putback ends it at 24s, which is
the possession's own Dur
The Kings beat the Blazers 121-82 in regular season finale to earn at least 1 more home game
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- — De'Aaron Fox scored 24 points and the Sacramento Kings assured themselves of at least one more home game by beating the Portland Trail Blazers 121-82 in the teams' regular-season finale on Sunday.
Sacramento will head into the play-in tournament on Tuesday night, hosting Golden State in the ninth versus 10th-place game in the Western Conference that is a rematch of a first-round series last year that the Kings lost in seven games.
“It’s exciting,” guard Davion Mitchell said. “We get to get a little payback for last year. We know they’re going to come here with energy. It’s a home game. We know it’s going to be loud. It’s going to physical. I think we ready for it.”
Sacramento will need to win that game and then again on the road on Friday night against the loser of the New Orleans Pelicans - Los Angeles Lakers in the No. 7 versus No. 8 matchup to make it into the playoffs.
After snapping an NBA-record long 16-year playoff drought last season, the Kings were in good position to finish in the top six and return to the postseason this year before losing five of six games headed into the season finale. Now they must get in through the play-in tournament without key injured players Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter .
Waiting for them is the Warriors team that spoiled their season last year when Stephen Curry scored 50 points in a Game 7 win for Golden State in Sacramento.
“We welcome anybody that’s in front of us,” Kings coach Mike Brown said. “Just excited about an opportunity to play, to go play one game right now and swing for the fences and try to get a win. It's a great opportunity for us to go do it.”
Sacramento cruised in the finale against a short-handed Blazers team playing out the string on a lost season. The Kings opened a 20-point lead in the second quarter and never were threatened.
Domantas Sabonis had 18 points and 11 rebounds for his 77th double-double of the season, the most since Moses Malone also had 77 in 1978-79.
“We just wanted to bring the physicality to them and kind of be the team that knocks them back,” forward Keegan Murray said. “I feel like we did that opening up the game that way and hit them in the mouth in the third quarter, too. That’s what we wanted to do.”
Dalano Banton led Portland with 17 points before getting ejected for a flagrant foul in the fourth quarter. Banton set a record for futility by missing all 15 of his attempts from 3-point range.
The Blazers were missing 10 players who accounted for more than three-quarters of the team's points this season because of injuries.
The patchwork lineup provided little resistance for Sacramento as Portland missed 21 of its first 22 attempts from 3-point range and trailed 65-37 at the half. Portland shot 7 for 45 from 3-point distance for the game.
The Blazers finished the season tied for the third-worst record in the NBA with the 61 losses, tied for the second-most in franchise history behind only the 64 in 1971-72.
“It’s been a challenge,” coach Chauncey Billups said. “It’s pretty challenging, but it is what it is. It’s been a long year, but also it goes by fast. It’s crazy.”