Kings’ Skid Hits Eight Games; Gordon Leaves Early for Denver; Portland Backcourt Remains Thinned
SLUG: kings-losing-streak-gordon-injury-blazers-backcourt
CONTENT:
KINGS
Sacramento dropped its eighth straight game on Thursday, falling to the Grizzlies in Memphis by 41 points – the club’s largest defeat of the season. The Kings entered the night with a seven-game slide but hoped for a turnaround as rookie Keegan Murray made his season debut and Memphis was without Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Instead, every loss during the current streak has come by double figures. Forward DeMar DeRozan took just three shots and finished with seven points, lowering his average to 17.9 points, his lowest mark in 13 seasons.
“Don’t nobody want to lose the way we’ve been losing,” DeRozan said. “Sometimes when you’re in the deep end, it’s hard to hear anything. You’re just trying to swim your way out.”
DeRozan also acknowledged uncertainty about his future. He is earning $24.6 million this season; next year’s $25.7 million salary is only $10 million guaranteed.
Guard Zach LaVine, limited to a combined two minutes in the previous two fourth quarters, said he was unhappy with the late-game benchings. “I’ll always be a team guy,” LaVine noted. “Personally, I don’t like it. I’ve never not played in the fourth. But when you’re trying to find a win you do whatever you can, I guess.”
NUGGETS
Aaron Gordon exited after three minutes on Friday against Houston when he aggravated a left hamstring injury and was ruled out for the rest of the night. The forward battled multiple soft-tissue issues last season.
Gordon had been off to a strong start, averaging 20.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in 12 games while Denver outscored opponents by 20.4 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor. The Nuggets edged the Rockets to move to 12-3 and are expected to be cautious with the 28-year-old given his importance to the rotation.
TRAIL BLAZERS
Portland said guard Scoot Henderson will be reevaluated in two to four weeks as he continues to rehab a torn left hamstring. The third-year guard has yet to appear in a game this season.
Jrue Holiday (right calf strain) will miss at least another week after being scratched from Friday’s contest. In 12 games, Holiday is averaging 16.7 points, 8.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds.
Shaedon Sharpe missed his second straight game Friday and remains day-to-day. Portland is already without Blake Wesley (foot surgery), Matisse Thybulle (thumb surgery) and Damian Lillard (torn Achilles).
The Blazers started 5-3 but have now lost six of their last seven to fall to 6-9. “It’s just part of the game,” acting coach Tiago Splitter said. “We’ve got to adapt a little bit, and we will. The teams that adapt better to these situations are the ones that do well.” The club could seek a hardship exception depending on Thybulle’s recovery timeline.
Source: Hoops Wire
