Kings fall to 1-11 on season (0-7 at home) as Blazers roll

Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away, and the Sacramento Kings are still waiting to light the beam at home for the first time this season.

Sacramento fell 120-107 to the Portland Trail Blazers at Golden 1 Center, dropping to 1-11 and 0-7 at home on the season. Friday’s loss keeps the Kings tied with the 1990-91 team for the worst 12-game start in franchise history.

The Kings had some encouraging stretches, particularly a bounce-back performance from Domantas Sabonis and a strong showing from Keegan Murray, but Portland consistently had answers for each run.

The difference from three-point range and the free-throw line proved too much to overcome, while Sacramento couldn’t get enough production from its backcourt in yet another loss in what has been a nightmare start to the 2026-27 season.

Dame not far behind Deni: 29 PTS for Dolla https://t.co/t8X50FL2If

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) November 14, 2026

Portland’s perimeter shooting makes the difference

The Sacramento Kings struggled to keep up with Portland from beyond the arc all night.

The Blazers finished 17-of-42 (40%) from three-point land, compared to Sacramento’s 11-of-34 (32%). Portland entered Friday ranked fourth in the NBA in opponent three-point percentage, holding teams to just 32.3%, and the Kings had difficulty generating consistent offense against that defense.

The difference was particularly noticeable early. Sacramento opened the game two-of-10 (20%) from three-point range, while Portland knocked down five of its first 10 attempts.

The Kings spent much of the night trying to climb back into the game. They repeatedly trimmed the deficit to single digits, only for Portland to respond with another scoring run.

Free-throw shooting made things even harder. Portland converted 29-of-31 (94%) attempts, while Sacramento went 18-of-23 (78%).

The Sacramento Kings actually outscored Portland in the paint, 46-38, and finished with 29 assists. But the Blazers’ shooting and ability to capitalize at the free-throw line ultimately made the difference.

Domas beats the buzzer 🚨 https://t.co/te1YfPM3m6

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 14, 2026

Sabonis & Murray give Sacramento an encouraging start

Sacramento had some positives, particularly from its frontcourt.

After finishing with zero points on just two field-goal attempts against Orlando, Sabonis came out with a completely different approach. He was aggressive from the opening minutes, pushing the pace, running the floor, controlling the offense and attacking the glass.

Sabonis finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, shooting nine-of-16 (56%) from the field. It was an important bounce-back performance after his unusually quiet outing earlier in the week.

Murray also returned to the starting lineup after spending the previous two games coming off the bench. He finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and four assists while shooting seven-of-14 (50%) from the field.

“The fans deserve a lot better than this,” Murray said postgame. “I think right now, we just have to find it. We have to win games at home. We have one of the best fanbases in the world. We have to show up for them.”

Acuff & LaVine can’t get enough going

Darius Acuff Jr. entered Friday looking to extend his streak of seven consecutive games with at least 20 points and five assists. Instead, Portland made things difficult for the rookie.

Acuff finished with 17 points and six assists, shooting six-of-19 (32%) from the field and three-of-10 (30%) from three-point land. He had just two points at halftime, the lowest-scoring half of his young NBA career.

Acuff drains the triple ☔️ https://t.co/Uc6xhM9zFK

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 14, 2026

He eventually found some rhythm in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 points after managing just eight through the first three periods. But by then, Portland had built too large of a cushion.

LaVine also struggled to get involved offensively. He finished with 12 points, six assists and three rebounds, shooting four-of-nine (44%) from the field. After scoring just four points in the first half, he opened the third quarter with two quick three-pointers, then went silent.

It wasn’t enough to change the outcome.

Sacramento needs more consistent production from its backcourt, especially against teams that can score quickly.

Acuff and LaVine have carried much of the offensive load this season, but neither has gotten going consistently enough to keep pace with Portland.

LaVine recently said he wants to help Acuff grow as a pro, even if that means yielding his field goal attempts to the 19-year-old phenom. Friday showed the downside of that process, as Acuff struggled and the Kings failed to string together enough offensive runs to come away with a win.

The Kings keep making franchise history for the wrong reasons

Sacramento is now winless through its first seven home games, extending the longest home losing streak to start a season in franchise history.

The previous worst marks were four consecutive home losses by the 1984-85 Kings and five by the 1990-91 team. This group has already surpassed both.

The overall record isn’t much better. Sacramento continues to track alongside the 1990-91 team for the worst start in franchise history, with that group eventually opening the season 1-13.

There are individual bright spots. Sabonis bounced back, Murray is back in the starting lineup, and Acuff continues to show why his development is worth watching.

But the Sacramento Kings need to start turning those positives into wins if they want to avoid a draft lottery disaster.

Under the NBA’s new flattened lottery odds, the three teams with the worst records each have the same chance of landing the No. 1 pick. That means Sacramento could finish with the league’s worst record and still have a very real chance of picking outside the top four.

The important distinction: a bottom-three finish improves the odds of getting a high pick, but it does not guarantee one. That means, even if the Kings are clearly on their way to another season without postseason basketball, they need to compete and start winning some basketball games.

Through 12 games, that is clearly easier said than done.

Stats & Notes

• Deni Avdija led Portland with 34 points, 11-of-13 (85%) shooting from the field, nine rebounds and four assists.
• Damian Lillard added 29 points, six assists and six-of-13 (46%) shooting from three-point land.
• De’Andre Hunter led Sacramento with 24 points, shooting seven-of-13 (54%) from the field and two-of-five (40%) from three-point land.

Sacramento Kings Injury Updates

Precious Achiuwa (left ankle soreness) was listed as questionable heading into Friday’s game but was ruled out before tip-off. He is considered day-to-day.

Maxime Raynaud (right patellar subluxation) will be re-evaluated this week.

Ben Simmons underwent successful surgery to address a torn right Achilles tendon and will miss the entire 2026-27 season.

More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports

• Sam Amick: Kings would prefer to avoid in-season coaching change
• Domantas Sabonis says he’s ‘100%’ amid low Kings usage
• Dwayne Wade: Darius Acuff Jr. is drawing attention to Sacramento
• Bobby Marks: Kings are in position for upcoming financial flexibility

Sacramento Kings 2026-27 Regular Season Schedule

• Sunday, November 15th vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (6:00 P.M. PT)
• Wednesday, November 18th vs. Phoenix Suns (7:00 P.M. PT)
• Friday, November 20th @ Los Angeles Lakers (7:00 P.M. PT)
• Saturday, November 21st vs. Boston Celtics (7:00 P.M. PT)
• Monday, November 23rd vs. San Antonio Spurs (7:00 P.M. PT)

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