Kings vs Trail Blazers Preview: What will stop the skid?

After perhaps their worst loss of the season against a depleted Philadelphia 76ers team, the Sacramento Kings will close their homestand out against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Sacramento led 84-77 heading into the fourth quarter against Philadelphia and completely flopped down the stretch, as they’ve done so often this season. Typically, in the first game after a coach gets fired, teams are able to rally and come together for that first game and get a win, but that wasn’t the case for the Kings.

Portland enters Wednesday in the midst of their best stretch of the season, having won four games in a row. Most recently, the Trail Blazers played Tuesday night at home against the Denver Nuggets, winning 119-100.

After a slow start to the season, Damian Lillard has begun to heat up during the last couple of weeks, scoring 25 points on just 13 shots against the Nuggets. Historically, Lillard has killed the Kings due to their typically poor point of attack defense.

The Kings took the first game from the Trail Blazers in Portland on opening night, 124-21. That was one of the Kings’ stronger performances of the season, but that game feels like so long ago and is hardly representative of the Kings we’ve seen recently.

As losers of eight of nine, you’d figure that the Kings would come out with a real sense of urgency and beat a Trail Blazers team who are coming into tonight’s game on a road back to back, but I’m not holding my breath.

How to Watch/Listen: NBC Sports California, Sports 1140 KHTK

Opposing Perspective: Blazer’s Edge

Spread: Trail Blazers -2.5

Moneyline: Trail Blazers -135, Kings +115

SAC injuries/absences: N/A

POR injuries/absences: N/A