Kings beat Trail Blazers 115-107 despite 35 from Lillard
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – De’Aaron Fox scored 16 points and made a key 3-pointer with 1:30 remaining, and the Sacramento Kings beat the Portland Trail Blazers 115-107 on Monday night.
Fox also had nine assists, Buddy Hield scored 19 points and Marvin Bagley III added 13 points and 11 rebounds. Sacramento has won three straight and four of five.
Damian Lillard scored 35 points to become the fastest player in Portland history to reach 12,000 for his career. Jusuf Nurkic had 13 points and 11 rebounds. CJ McCollum scored six points on 2-of-14 shooting.
The Trail Blazers, playing the second half of a back-to-back, have lost two straight since winning four in a row.
Sacramento got out to an early lead, held Portland to 17 points in the second quarter and then held off the Trail Blazers down the stretch.
After Lillard’s 17-foot jumper cut the Kings’ lead to 109-103 with 1:47 remaining, Fox came back down the court and calmly drained his only 3 of the night.
Bagley made a free throw and Willie Cauley-Stein added an emphatic dunk that brought the crowd to its feet.
Portland struggled offensively across the board, particularly McCollum, who didn’t make a shot after halftime.
Lillard reached 12,000 points in the third quarter of his 514th game. Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler had been the fastest Trail Blazers player to reach the mark, in his 587th game.
TIP-INS
Trail Blazers: Lillard has scored in double figures in 184 consecutive games, breaking a tie with Drexler for the franchise record. . Zach Collins made a tremendous defensive play to block a layup attempt by Yogi Ferrell in the first quarter. . Portland coach Terry Stotts was called for a technical while talking with officials after a foul.
Kings: Fox has made at least one steal in 14 straight games, the longest active streak in the NBA. . Iman Shumpert was called for a technical foul in the third quarter. Shumpert later had to be walked to the bench by a teammate after arguing with someone on Portland’s bench. Shumpert’s three technicals are tied for second-most on Sacramento behind Fox, who has four.
UP NEXT
Trail Blazers: Host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
Kings: At the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday.
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