Sports

Blazers vs Kings Preview

A season of "almosts" comes to an end Wednesday night when the visiting Sacramento Kings take on the Portland Trail Blazers in the regular-season finale for both teams.

 

The Kings, who enter Wednesday's swan song with a 39-42 record, improved dramatically from the 27-55 mark they posted the previous year. Sacramento, which will end the season with a losing record for the 13th straight year, nevertheless will finish with a winning mark at home (24-17) for the first time since 2007-08.

 

"We wanted to finish the home season with a win," coach Dave Joerger said after the Kings' 133-129 loss to the visiting New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, "but it's still been a terrific season." At the All-Star break, though, Sacramento stood at 30-27 and was very much in the playoff hunt. Even with the addition of forward Harrison Barnes at midseason, losses in 8 of 11 games from late February to mid-March caused the Kings to fall out of the race. Joerger is expected to use his regular rotation at Portland and should give plentiful minutes to his up-and-coming young players, such as guards De'Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield and forward Marvin Bagley III. "We'll try to get this last game and get to 40 wins," Fox said. Added Bagley: "One more left. We'll go up there to Portland and give it our all." Hield has made 597 career 3-point baskets in his first three seasons, two shy of the NBA record held by Portland's Damian Lillard. Hield will have a chance to pass Lillard on Wednesday night.

 

The Trail Blazers (52-29) clinched home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs with a 104-101 road win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. Portland can gain the No. 3 seed in the West if they beat the Kings on Wednesday night and the Denver Nuggets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves.

 

The Blazers will enter the playoffs with a full complement of backcourt players now that CJ McCollum (knee) has returned after a 10-game absence. McCollum made his return Sunday in Portland's 115-108 home win over the Denver Nuggets, contributing nine points, six rebounds and six assists in 25 minutes.

 

"I was moving all right," said McCollum, who was on a 25-minute restriction. "It was pretty free-flowing with my movement. I felt comfortable. I just tried to play my game." McCollum said had he felt any pain in the knee, "I wouldn't have
played. I haven't had any pain in a long time. That was part of the process of making sure it was strong enough to go out there and move without thinking about it."

 

McCollum's absence from March 18 through last Friday allowed players such as Seth Curry, Rodney Hood and Evan Turner to get more playing time. And the Blazers went 8-2 without their No. 2 scorer.

 

"When CJ was out, it meant a lot of guys had to step up and do a little bit more," Lillard said. "It went well, which gave a lot of guys confidence. It gives us other guys we can turn to in the postseason who feel good about themselves. That trust is there. It worked out just fine for us."

 

McCollum played 29 minutes Tuesday, and he scored 11 points. The Blazers won on a Maurice Harkless 3-pointer at the buzzer.

 

--Field Level Media

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