In a high-tech game, the Kings defeat the Blazers 125-121

The second night of the NBA All-Star Weekend was a tech-filled game as the Kings held off Blazers 125-121. The Kings' deadeye shooter, Buddy Hield, who scored 29 points and nailed five three-pointers, helped his team take the lead in the first half. JJ Redick had 25 points and seven assists for LA Lakers. After trailing by as many as 12 points in the second quarter, Portland's Damian Lillard (24 pts) and CJ McCollum (22 pts) led their team back to take a 113-111 lead with 2:15 left on the clock before Sacramento outscored them 9-2 to close out the victory.

Buddy Hield, who scored 29 points and nailed five three-pointers, helped his team take the lead in the first half. JJ Redick had 25 points and seven assists for LA Lakers. After trailing by as many as 12 points in the second quarter, Portland's Damian Lillard (24 pts) and CJ McCollum (22 pts) led their team back to take a 113-111 lead with 2:15 left on the clock before Sacramento outscored them 9-2 to close out the victory.

"I keep telling them that we have a chance to be a very good team," King's interim coach Alvin Gentry said. "We just have to continue to grow and get better, but they are starting to believe in each other."

Hield scored 29 points and nailed five three-pointers, Redick had 25 points and seven assists for LA Lakers; two other players also scored 25 points apiece: Paul George (Indiana Pacers) and Kemba Walker (Charlotte Hornets).

The game started with Kemba Walker making his first shot while Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers) missed his first. It was the opposite for Hield, who made two free throws before missing his second. Portland's Evan Turner scored first, making a layup, but then Hield made a three-point shot to take the lead. Damian Lillard from Portland Trail Blazers made a three-pointer before being blocked by Willie Cauley-Stein, who was fouled by Jusuf Nurkic and made both free throws. After scoring ten points each, both teams began passing the ball around.

Hield had a breakaway dunk but missed it. However, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson followed up with two free throws to make them count. Turner answered for Portland by getting one of his own after missing his first shot of the game. Both teams took their time during offense as they tried to set up screens and passes, resulting in turnovers on either end.

After being fouled by Buddy Hield, Damian Lillard made two free throws, followed by CJ McCollum shooting a three-pointer that Gentry challenged only to be rejected. After the teams went in and out of the lead, Portland's Damian Lillard hit his third free throw in a row before being fouled again on the other end resulting in him missing both this time around. His opening shot was blocked, but De'Aaron Fox found Hield, who scored an open-basket layup to take back the lead at 101-99 with just under four minutes remaining in the game. While Portland's Nurkic got two shots, he missed them both, giving Sacramento their best chance at victory.

With just seven seconds left, Redick missed a three-pointer, but Hield grabbed the rebound only to be fouled by Nurkic before making both free throws. While Damian Lillard was shooting two free throws, Gentry tried to freeze him but missed, resulting in eight points for Portland that allowed them to tie the game on the next possession. Damian Lillard got one of his shots off within five seconds after CJ McCollum had made it first with just over three remaining.

Gentry told Fox not to worry about how many timeouts he had left and let him do what he wanted as he ended up scoring on a layup giving his team a 103-101 lead with 1:13 left in the game. McCollum then hit his first shot of three he took tonight, giving his team a chance at a comeback.

Gentry then called a timeout to set up a play before passing the point to Redick, who made two free throws followed by an open shot from Hield to put the Kings up 103-105 with just under one minute remaining in the game.

Damian Lillard answered back with an open three. Still, he missed as Gentry called another timeout following CJ McCollum making one of his free throws, which resulted in Sacramento leading 110-111 with thirty seconds left.

In those final thirty seconds, Hield's first shot was blocked but grabbed by Fox, who shot and scored a layup putting them ahead 112-111. Portland countered that with Damian Lillard's layup before being stopped by Garrett Temple to give his team a chance at staying alive. After both teams scored one more time, Portland's Evan Turner missed the potential game-tying shot as the clock expired to give Sacramento their first win of the season.

"Tonight was all about our toughness and perseverance," Gentry told reporters after the game. "It wasn't pretty but we got it done."

McCollum had 29 points in 40 minutes, followed by Damian Lillard with 26 points and five assists in 38 minutes. On the other end, Hield finished with 30 points and seven rebounds in 37 minutes off the bench, while Fox had 21 points and 11 assists in 36 minutes before being ejected for fighting late in the fourth quarter. George finished with 17 points and eight assists in 33 minutes.

"I'm proud of our guys for fighting through it," Gentry said. "It wasn't always pretty but we found a way to get it done."

Before calling that timeout, Lillard had made his first three free throws of the game before missing one out of his next five shots during their run to tie things up at 110-110. While he finished with seven turnovers on the night, McCollum also struggled from behind the arc, making just two out of his nine attempts while shooting four for ten overall in 40 minutes.

Hield shot 12-21 overall for 29 points while Fox left with 21 after being ejected in 36 total minutes. Bagley ended the night with 16 points and eight rebounds in 33 minutes.

"We played a lot faster tonight," Hield told reporters after the game. "It wasn't pretty but we got it done. You can always depend on De'Aaron Fox, he has been doing that all year for us."

The Kings stay at home to face the Clippers Saturday while Portland starts a three-game road trip Friday against the Jazz before facing the Mavericks and Spurs.