Feb 3, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Sacramento Kings interim head coach Doug Christie directs his team as they play the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Sacramento Kings interim coach Doug Christie didn’t mince words ahead of his team’s clash with the in-form Trail Blazers in Portland on Thursday night.
The Kings were blown away at home 130-111 by the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, the first leg of a back-to-back set.
Christie didn’t like what he saw on both ends of the floor. He knows his team will need to be better in several departments against the Blazers, who are riding a five-game winning streak.
“Unacceptable in a lot of different ways, especially on the defensive end,” Christie said. “Must, must be better. Must, must play with the level of energy, intensity, physicality and aggressiveness that I want to see and (that) I think they’ve begun to expect from themselves. That wasn’t it.
“You can use all the different excuses. I’m not going to do that — 19 turnovers for 28 points (conceded) — unacceptable. (Shooting) 51 percent for them from the 3-point line — unacceptable.”
Zach LaVine scored 13 points on 4-of-13 shooting from the field in his Sacramento debut after being traded from Chicago.
Christie accepts there will be an adjustment period for LaVine, but he isn’t using the two-time All-Star playing in his first game for a new franchise as an alibi for the Kings’ poor performance.
“That’s part of what’s going to happen,” Christie said. “We have to find our way. As a unit, they have to feel Zach out, Zach has to feel them out. But I’m not using any of that as an excuse.”
Sacramento on Wednesday acquired backup center Jonas Valanciunas from Washington for Sidy Cissoko and two second-round picks.
Valanciunas previously was teammates with DeMar DeRozan at Toronto and played alongside Domantas Sabonis for Lithuania in the 2016 Olympics.
“It’s great. I’m excited,” said Sabonis, who had 21 points and 13 rebounds against the Magic.
“A fellow countryman with me. He’s all about this culture — he’s tough, he plays every game, I think he’s going to help us a lot off the bench. I know he’s going to play his heart out.”
Valanciunas could make his Kings debut against a Portland team that will be missing guard Matisse Thybulle because of an ankle injury.
The Blazers have won nine of their past 10 games, capped by a 112-89 dismissal of Indiana on Tuesday. Anfernee Simons scored 22 points and Jerami Grant added 20 in the victory.
Portland led by six points midway through the fourth quarter before swamping the Pacers 30-13 down the stretch.
“Leads like this that are 10-12 points, they go away so fast in the NBA,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “But the way our defense is humming, when teams are playing against us — at least in particular now – that lead probably feels like a 20-something-point lead. It’s been tough to score on us.
“That’s been my vision the entire time. I want to be that team that nobody wants to play against. Even when you come in and play well and win, you’ve had to fight so hard for that win, you have to go earn that. That’s what I want us to be at all times, home or on the road. I want teams to earn their keep against us. And we’re doing that right now.”
–Field Level Media
