Sacramento Kings interim coach Doug Christie did not drop words before his team’s collision with the shaped tracks in Portland on Thursday evening.
The kings were blasted at home 130-111 by Orlando Magic on Wednesday, the first part of a back-to-back set.
Christie did not like what he saw at both ends of the floor. He knows that his team will need to be better in several departments against Blazers, who ride on a five-game winning line.
“Unacceptable in many different ways, especially in the defensive end,” Christie said. “Must, must be better. Must, must play with the energy level, intensity, physics and aggressiveness that I want to see and (it) I think they have begun to expect from themselves. It wasn’t.
“You can use all the different excuses. I will not make it-19 turnover for 28 points (allowed)-oacceptable.
Zach Lavine scored 13 points on 4-AV-13-shooting from the field in his Sacramento debut after being traded from Chicago.
Christie accepts that there will be an adjustment period for Lavine, but he does not use the twice All-Star playing in his first game for a new franchise as Alibi for King’s poor performance.
“That’s part of what will happen,” Christie said. “We have to find our way. As a unit they must know Zach out, Zach must know them out. But I don’t use any of it as an apology.”
Sacramento acquired Wednesday Backupcenter Jonas Valanciunas from Washington for Sidy Cissoko and two other rounds.
Valanciunas were former teammates with Demar Derozan at Toronto and played together with Domanta’s Sabonis for Lithuania during the 2016 Olympics.
“It’s amazing. I’m excited,” said Sabonis, who had 21 points and 13 returns to the magic.
“A compatriot with me. He is about this culture – he is tough, he plays every game, I think he will help us a lot from the bench. I know he will play his heart.”
Valanciunas was able to make his King debut against a Portland team that will be missing guard Matisse Thybulle due to an ankle injury.
Blazers has won nine of his last ten matches, completed by a dismissal of 112-89 by Indiana on Tuesday. Anternee Simons got 22 points and Jerami Grant added 20 in the victory.
Portland led from six points halfway through the fourth quarter before mushrooming Pacers 30-13 along the route.
“Leads like this that are 10-12 points, they disappear so quickly in the NBA,” said Blazers coach Chauncey Billups. “But how our defense buzzes, when teams play against us-at least especially now, it probably feels like a 20-point score. It has been difficult to score on us.
“It’s been my vision all the time. I want to be the team that no one wants to play against. Even when you come in and play well and win, you have had to fight so hard for that profit, you have to earn it is what I Want to be all the time, home or on the road.
-Field level media
