October 24, 2026 at 6:28 AM UTC

Postgame Report

Blazers hold off Kings 128-120 as Acuff's 33 go for nothing in Sacramento

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Portland, a double-digit favorite, won by eight at Golden 1 Center. Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. scored 33 and Domantas Sabonis had a triple-double, but the Kings fell to 0-2.

Portland came to Sacramento as a clear favorite, laying 10.5 points on the road, and the Trail Blazers left with a 128-120 win. They were a couple of possessions short of covering, which is the sort of thing that matters to a handful of people and not at all to the team in the visiting locker room. For the Kings, the loss follows a 121-96 defeat to the Clippers in the opener, and two games into the season they are already hearing about it.

The Blazers did not need a Lillard showcase to do this. Damian Lillard finished with 19 points in 33 minutes, and Ja Morant added 12 points and 7 assists in 27, both quieter than the headline guards usually are. Deni Avdija carried more of the scoring with 26 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, Toumani Camara added 19, and Sidy Cissoko gave them 15 off the bench. Portland had opened with a 124-83 rout of Phoenix, and the road trip tested whether that form would travel. It did, mostly, without the same gloss.

The most interesting individual night belonged to a Sacramento rookie. Darius Acuff Jr. shot 5 of 24 in his debut against the Clippers, and here he scored 33 points over 37 minutes, with 4 assists and 2 rebounds. Domantas Sabonis was just as busy at the other end of the rotation, with 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists in 39 minutes, a triple-double. Zach LaVine added 22. It was a lot of production for a team that still ended up eight short.

The game was also the Kings' home opener, and the crowd at Golden 1 Center got a competitive game with the wrong ending. Sacramento kept it within reach through the second half, but Portland had enough scoring depth. Robert Williams III scored 13 in 18 minutes, and Jrue Holiday had 8 assists to go with his 12 points. The Kings now have a young guard who has shown he can score and a fan base waiting to see whether the rest of it comes together.

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