To be fair to Sacramento, the Clippers loss wasn't a no-show. The Kings won the second quarter and were down only 61-54 at the half at Intuit Dome. Then the Clippers hit them for 32 in the third quarter while the Kings managed 16, and that settled it. With this rotation, the Kings can stay close for a half. Holding up for 4 quarters is the problem.
Portland's stars should be fresh. The opener was over so early that Lillard's 24 minutes were close to a light workout, and the preseason worry about the Blazers' bench mostly went untested because the bench only had to finish off a blowout. Friday is the first road game of the year, and a team that's been lifting the home crowd from the opening tip now has to do it without one.
For Sacramento, it all comes back to the frontcourt. With 2 centers out and Simmons done, the Kings are going to be small and mixing and matching for at least another week. If Monk is cleared, they at least get a scorer who can match Portland's shooting for a stretch. If he isn't, the Kings need a lot more than they got in the third quarter Wednesday.
Clippers96-121One game is a tiny sample on both sides. Phoenix shot 4-of-20 in the first quarter, and Portland won't see that kind of shooting every night. Sacramento's loss came in the second game of a back-to-back of season openers for the West, on the road, short-handed. Tipoff is 7:00 PM PT on Friday, October 23, and it's the first chance to see if either result was real.