----- Deni Advija finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, and five assists as the Portland Trail Blazers improved to 2-1 in Emirates NBA Cup play with a 115-106 victory over the Sacramento Kings Friday night at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
Deandre Ayton and Anfernee Simons combined for 47 points and Deni Advija added 20 points, nine rebounds, and five assists as the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Sacramento Kings 115-106 Friday night at Moda Center in Portland.
Malik Monk led Sacramento (9-11) with 29 points off the bench. De’Aaron Fox added 22 points and Domantas Sabonis had 21.
Portland (8-12) played without Jerami Grant (Knee), Donovan Clingan (Knee), Scoot Henderson (Thigh), and Robert Williams III (Concussion). Coach Billups got a balanced effort with six-players including all five starters scoring in double figures.
The Trail Blazers held a 64-34 edge in the paint and scored 24 points off of 20 Kings' turnovers.
A 9-2 run with five minutes left in the second quarter put Portland ahead and left Sacramento playing from behind the rest of the game.
With the win, the Blazers are now 2-1 in the Western Conference's Group A behind the Rockets, who lead the group at 3-0, and remain in contention to advance after the Lakers lost 101-93 to the Thunder on Friday. The Kings are 0-3 in the NBA Cup.
Up Next- The Trail Blazers host the Dallas Mavericks Sunday evening at Moda Center. The game is scheduled to tip off at 6:00 PM.
Chad's Take- Great effort & a great team for the short-handed Trail Blazers.