Portland Trail Blazers down Sacramento Kings in preseason NBA thriller

PORTLAND: Home side Portland Trail Blazers secured an enthralling 124-123 victory over Sacramento Kings in a preseason NBA match here at Moda Center on Friday.

Both teams battled hard till the final whistle, and the Blazers improved their preseason record to 1-1 with the victory, while the Kings dropped to 0-2.

The Trail Blazers were led by Deni Avdija, who finished with 15 points, six rebounds, and two assists in 23 minutes of play.

In just 28 minutes, Shaedon Sharpe scored 17 more points, demonstrating his potential as a vital offensive weapon. In just eighteen minutes of action, rookie centre Donovan Clingan scored 12 points and pulled down eight rebounds.

With ten players each scoring at least six points, Portland demonstrated balanced scoring across the board. Renowned for his seasoned presence, Jerami Grant scored 11 points in 18 minutes, and Kris Murray and Duop Reath each contributed eight points to sustain the attack.

The game was tightly contested throughout, with the Kings taking an early lead after a strong first half. Sacramento led 68-63 at the break and maintained a narrow advantage heading into the fourth.

However, Portland’s bench stepped up in crunch time, outscoring the Kings 29-27 in the final frame to seal the win.

Both squads shot under 50 per cent from the field, with the Blazers at 47.3 percent. Free throws proved crucial as the home team made 28 of 40 attempts.

Following the victory, the Trail Blazers will host the Golden State Warriors on October 14th.