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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Portland Trail Blazers beat Oklahoma City on consecutive nights this week, 123-103 on Tuesday and 118-108 on Wednesday. They take that into Friday night’s Emirates NBA Cup game against the Sacramento Kings, a team they have already beaten on the road.
Portland (8-3) won 128-120 at Golden 1 Center on Oct. 23 and is 5-1 away from home. The two wins over the Thunder followed back-to-back losses to the Lakers and San Antonio. Sacramento (1-10) has lost four straight. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. CT.
Portland’s Offense Without Morant
Ja Morant has played four games and is out again with a left hamstring strain, according to the NBA’s Friday morning injury report. Portland has still scored 119.5 points per game, second in the league.
Deni Avdija has led the team in scoring and assists and gets to the free-throw line 8.9 times a game. Damian Lillard, who has started all 11 games, adds 19.8 points for Trail Blazers coach Micah Nori. Vít Krejčí, Shaedon Sharpe, and Chris Youngblood are also out for Portland.
Sacramento’s Rookie Load
Darius Acuff Jr., the seventh overall pick, leads the NBA at 37.4 minutes per game and has scored 26.2 points a night. Zach LaVine adds 22.3 points. The trouble for Kings coach Doug Christie has come on defense, where Sacramento has allowed 121.0 points per game, 27th in the league.
Sacramento opened 0-6, won 115-100 at Dallas on Nov. 2, then lost four straight, most recently 107-100 at home to Orlando on Tuesday.
Precious Achiuwa, who has started nine games, is questionable with left ankle soreness. Maxime Raynaud and Ben Simmons are out.
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