What We Learned From Kings' Exhilarating Loss to Trail Blazers

It was all doom and gloom heading into the Sacramento Kings' second game of the year. After an 0-5 preseason and a big loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on opening night, the hope was that the Kings just wouldn't get blown out in their home opener. And while the Kings didn't come away with the win, it was an exciting game that came down to the wire, which feels like a win given the outlook coming into the game.

The Portland Trail Blazers won 128-120, but it was a game the Kings at least gave themselves a chance to win thanks to the trio of Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and Darius Acuff Jr. The three combined for BLANK, and were part of a three-man action the Kings used over and over again throughout the game. With Sabonis setting recurring screens throughout the possession, Acuff and LaVine took turns using the space he created to either get to the rim or get open looks from three.

Sabonis had his first triple-double of the year with 27, 19, and 10 on 10-of-13 from the field. Acuff set an early impressive career-high with 33 points on an inefficient 10-of-26 from the field, but the excitement is real regardless. And LaVine had 22 on 6-of-15 from the field and 3-of-9 from three.

Why It Matters

Tonight was important for the Kings for so many different reasons, but one was to finally start to establish a flow and game plan on offense. The Kings' assist total (21) doesn't jump off the page, but compared to the game against the Clippers, the offense had so much more movement than we've seen to date with this roster.

A huge part of that was running nearly everything through Sabonis, which he gave us a good hint would be the case yesterday after practice. The Kings still have a long way to go and need to continue to build chemistry, but tonight was a huge step in the right direction.

Acuff Catches Fire

Once again, Acuff wasn't shy tonight. He took a team-high 26 field goal attempts, but he caught fire in the second half and was a huge reason why the Kings were able to claw their way back into the game. He reminded everyone that his offensive potential is off the charts.

Yes, the efficiency isn't there yet, but with his confidence and skill, he has all the makings of a big-shot maker for years to come in the NBA.

Interesting Rotations

Outside of the big three, it was an interesting game for the Kings, especially from a rotational standpoint. Malik Monk made his debut, and while he got a huge pop from the crowd, he looked rusty and it stood out that he hasn't gotten live action as he works his way back from his ankle injury.

Nique Clifford got into the game for just 2:04, while Daeqwon Plowden played 20:17. And Keegan Murray didn't play in the fourth quarter, even when the game was within striking distance at the end.

It was always going to be a puzzle for Doug Christie to solve this season. The Kings have so many rotational options as a team built around depth behind the three stars that the combinations are nearly limitless.

If we're learning anything so far from the first two games, it's that Christie is going to coach based on his intuition and feel, which could make for some very interesting rotations on a night-to-night basis, but may fit this current iteration of the team the best by going with what's working at the right time.

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