NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking Points from the Portland Trail Blazers' win over the Sacramento Kings

The Blazers edged the Kings in an overtime thriller
The Blazers edged the Kings in an overtime thriller

Final Score: Portland Trail Blazers defeat Sacramento Kings 113-108

Coming off a 34-point blowout win against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Portland Trail Blazers were looking to start the new year with a victory on the road as they were up against the Sacramento Kings.

Kings entered this game after losing by 7 points in Los Angeles against the Lakers. Thanks to Seth Curry's strong second quarter where he scored 12 points, the Blazers walked into the halftime with a 64-50 lead.

However, Kings went hot in the third quarter and were leading by nine points in the fourth quarter, with 3:10 remaining. Lillard scored 7 points down the stretch and Fox missed what would have been a game-winner and the game went into overtime.

The Blazers had no difficulties in winning this game in the extra period. Let us take a look at three of the talking points from this game at the Golden 1 Center.


#3 Kings' bench outscores Blazers' bench 40-24

Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 19 points coming off the bench
Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 19 points coming off the bench

The Kings' bench has the potential and keeps coming up with impressive performances and is one of the primary reasons why the Kings are at the 9th spot in Western Conference. With Bogdan Bogdanovic as their star, the bench has been thriving since the start of the season.

Last night, the bench once again showed up and were once again led by the 26-year-old shooting guard who scored 19 points. Yogi Ferrell was also impressive and scored 8 points in 14 minutes of action.

Bogdanovic led the fourth quarter scoring with 11 points and that shows the kind of impact he has had coming off the bench. While the Kings' bench combined for 40 points, the Blazers' bench only contributed 24 points.

While Seth Curry tallied 18 points off the bench, no one else made an impact as they combined for just 6 points on 3-for-12 shooting, including 0-for-5 from the three-point line.

#2 All five Blazers' starters score in double-digits

Damian Lillard led the scoring with 25 points for Blazers Credit: The Columbian
Damian Lillard led the scoring with 25 points for Blazers Credit: The Columbian

Playing against the Kings, who are fighting hard for a playoffs spot, the Blazers needed everything they could get from their players and luckily, they delivered to the best of their abilities to help the team get this overtime win.

Damian Lillard struggled from the field but went 8-for-8 from the free-throw line and led the scoring with 25 points for Blazers. This includes his own five points in OT which is also the points the entire Kings' players scored in the extra frame.

CJ McCollum scored 16 points on 8-for-19 shooting and Aminu added 13 points. The 24-year-old Nurkic scored 24 points while Harkless tallied 11 points of his own. Seth Curry came off the bench and provided the much-needed spark scoring 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting, including 4-for-6 from behind the arc.

#1 Jusuf Nurkic's explosive performance

Nusuf Nurkic had a historic 5x5 performance against the Kings
Nusuf Nurkic had a historic 5x5 performance against the Kings

Stat line: 25 points, 23 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals and 5 blocks on 50.0 % shooting

Jusuf Nurkic is playing the best basketball of his NBA career which is evident as the 24-year-old is averaging career-high numbers in all five statistical categories. The Bosnian center has been causing problems to the defenders in the paint with his dominant performances.

Coming off a strong 14-point performance in only 21 minutes of action in the 34-point blowout win against the 76ers, Nurkic exploded once again en route to a historic 5 x 5 performance against the Kings.

He scored 25 points and snagged 23 rebounds to go along with 7 assists. Nurkic was also very effective on the defensive end as he accumulated 5 steals and blocked 5 shots. He was one of the main reason why the Blazers got this overtime victory.

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