Final: Blazers Fend Off Kings, 109-105

Recap:

The Blazers jumped on the Kings from the opening tip and took a double-digit lead for much of the game, giving the fans a fun time. The Kings came back late, taking the lead in the fourth quarter behind Rookie of the Year candidate Ben McLemore, but incumbent Rookie of the Year took care of business down the stretch for another Blazers preseason victory.

Box Score

Trending:

Damian Lillard (28 points) is increasingly becoming The Man. He put on a show in the third quarter, personally destroying the Kings, and finished them off late.

Nicolas Batum looks like his solid self, finishing with a double-double as a stabilizing influence on the court. His late three-pointer helped seal the deal. He finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists.

The Big Men were all relevant tonight. Thomas Robinson (14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists), Joel Freeland (7 points, 9 rebounds) and Robin Lopez (14 points, 7 rebounds) each had an impact on the game, and kept the Kings on their heels. The Blazers were again dominant on the boards.

Slipping:

Victor Claver and Will Barton were removed from Coach Terry Stotts' rotation tonight. Very possibly a sign of things to come.

Earl Watson had a minimal role in his backup Point Guard role.

Eighteen more turnovers.

What's Next:

One more preseason game, Thursday night in Oakland against the Golden State Warriors. Stay tuned for more from Dave and Ben! -- Tim