Harrison Barnes' career-high 36 points leads Kings over Blazers / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports Credit Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Harrison Barnes established career highs of 36 points and eight 3-pointers and also collected nine rebounds to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 124-121 road victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.

Player of the Game EFF 39 Harrison Barnes Points 36 Accuracy 10-19 Rebounds 9 Assists 2

De'Aaron Fox added 27 points and eight assists and Richaun Holmes (9-for-10 from the field) had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Kings. Buddy Hield scored 17 points and made four 3-pointers to tie the franchise career mark of 1,070 set by Peja Stojakovic (1998-2006).

Damian Lillard missed a 31-foot, 3-point try just before time expired for the Trail Blazers. Lillard recorded 20 points and 11 rebounds but shot just 8-for-24 and missed all nine 3-point attempts in Portland's first game under new coach Chauncey Billups.

CJ McCollum made six 3-pointers while scoring 34 points to pace the Trail Blazers. Jusuf Nurkic had 20 points and 14 rebounds, Norman Powell tallied 14 points and Anfernee Simons had 11.

Portland rallied from an 18-point, fourth-quarter deficit to move within a single possession down the stretch.

Barnes drained his eighth 3-pointer, a swish from the left corner, with 1:39 to play to give the Kings a 120-114 lead.

Hield later made two free throws with 19.6 seconds left to give Sacramento a 122-117 advantage.

McCollum made a jumper and then forced Tyrese Haliburton to turn the ball over with Lillard picking it up and scoring to bring Portland within one with 11.1 seconds remaining. Barnes made two free throws with 8.8 seconds left prior to Lillard's game-ending miss.

Sacramento sank 45.7 percent of its field-goal attempts and was 17 of 41 from 3-point range.

Portland hit 48.4 percent of its shots and was 12 of 35 from behind the arc.

Hield knocked down his fourth 3-pointer 17 seconds into the fourth quarter to push the lead to 18 and tie Stojakovic's record.

The Kings led 117-104 after Fox's hoop with 5:58 remaining before Portland responded with the next 10 points. Powell hit a 3-pointer to cap it with 2:40 left.

Barnes hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the third quarter as Sacramento opened up a 75-57 advantage with 7:50 remaining. He later hit another 3-pointer to make it 100-83 with 5.8 seconds left. Simons drove for a layup for Portland to make a 15-point margin entering the final stanza.

Fox scored 16 first-half points as the Kings led 62-49 at the break.

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