The Sacramento Kings will be shorthanded against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Sacramento Kings have dropped six of their past seven contests following a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but they now turn their attention to two potentially favorable games against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Sacramento will travel to Portland for a Thursday night matchup before the teams meet again in the capital two days later. Both sides, however, are entering the first game shorthanded, with notable injuries impacting each roster.
Kings are now down two starters
After star guard Zach LaVine was diagnosed with an ankle sprain, the Kings knew they would be without another key starter. With Domantas Sabonis already slated to miss his 13th straight game, Sacramento now faces even more uncertainty as LaVine joins him on the sidelines.
Injury Report:
- Domantas Sabonis — OUT (left ankle partial meniscus tear)
- Zach LaVine — OUT (left ankle sprain)
- Drew Eubanks — OUT (left thumb avulsion fracture)
- Dennis Schröder — QUESTIONABLE (right ankle sprain)
Being without both Sabonis and Eubanks has already stretched the Kings’ frontcourt depth thin, and losing LaVine — with Schröder’s status also in doubt — further complicates matters ahead of the matchup with Portland.
While LaVine has struggled to make a consistent impact this season and has ranked poorly in several statistical categories, his absence still underscores a larger issue for Sacramento. The Kings have yet to see their roster at full strength, and with LaVine expected to miss at least another week, that wait is set to continue.
Who’s out for the Trail Blazers?
As expected, the Trail Blazers will again be without star guard Damian Lillard as he continues his recovery from a torn Achilles. Portland is also navigating several other key injuries heading into Thursday’s matchup, most notably the absence of starting guard Jrue Holiday.
Portland Injury Report:
- Damian Lillard — OUT (left Achilles injury management)
- Jrue Holiday — OUT (right calf strain)
- Scoot Henderson — OUT (left hamstring tear)
- Matisse Thybulle — OUT (left thumb ligament tear)
- Blake Wesley — OUT (right foot fracture)
With so many guards sidelined, Portland’s backcourt depth will be put to the test against Sacramento. Given that both teams are short-handed and searching for consistency, the outcome remains difficult to predict.
The Kings and Trail Blazers are scheduled to tip off in Portland at 7:00 p.m. PT on Thursday.
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