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Match Details
Fixture: Sacramento Kings vs Portland Trail Blazers
Date & Time: Saturday, 7 March 2020 (10:00 PM ET)
Venue: Moda Center, Portland, OR
Last Game Results
Sacramento Kings (27-35): 117-125 loss to Philadelphia 76ers (5 March, Thursday)
Portland Trail Blazers (28-36): 117-127 loss to Phoenix Suns (6 March, Friday)
Sacramento Kings Preview
The Sacramento Kings have now won six of their last 10 games, landing them in the running for the 8th spot in the West. This team is fighting for a playoff berth with just 20 games remaining in their regular season stretch.
The Kings are currently 27-35 (0.435) on the season, and just 2.5 games outside the playoff picture, with Marvin Bagley (foot) missing considerable time. As a collective unit, this team is shooting almost 46% from the field, while committing 14.5 turnovers on average this season so far.
Key Player - Buddy Hield
Buddy Hield is one of the most underrated athletes across the league. He is scoring at an impressive rate of 19.9 points per game for the Kings this season, while shooting over 39% from the beyond the arc.
Despite an injury-riddled roster all year long, Hield has managed to steer the ship single-handedly through his explosive drives and long-range bombs. Playing a little over 32 minutes per contest, he is also averaging 4.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
Kings Predicted Lineup
Nemanja Bjelica, Harry Giles III, De'Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Bojan Bogdanovic
Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers have been without Jusuf Nurkic (leg fracture), Rodney Hood (leg) and Zach Collins (shoulder) for a large chunk of this season. Their undermanned roster has resulted in an underwhelming 28-36 (0.438) win-loss record, down at the 9th spot on the Western Conference standings.
The Trail Blazers are currently 2.5 games behind the eighth seed Memphis Grizzlies, and hoping to make a final playoff push before the regular season wraps up for good.
Key Player - Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard went on a mid-season scoring rampage just recently, but still couldn't do enough to overshadow his team's collective woes. Averaging 29.4 points per game - which is the 5th highest in the league right now - Dame has been nothing short of sensational this season.
The 5-time All-Star is shooting almost 40% from the three-point line (career-high), while clocking around 37 minutes per contest. He is also averaging 4.3 boards and 7.9 assists per game.
Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
Carmelo Anthony, Damian Lillard, Hassan Whiteside, CJ McCollum, Trevor Ariza
Kings vs Trail Blazers Match Prediction
Both these teams are eyeing the 8th spot in the West, and are virtually tied. However, the Kings are playing solid basketball and will be facing Portland who have just lost the first one of a back-to-back. Sacramento will likely edge past the Trail Blazers for a crucial win.
Where to watch Kings vs Trail Blazers?
There will be live coverage of the game on NBC Sports Northwest and NBC Sports California from 10:00 PM ET. You can also stream the game via NBA League Pass.
