Jae Crowder arrived in Minneapolis just before midnight on Tuesday night and signed his contract with the Sacramento Kings three hours before tipoff of Wednesday night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Despite passing a physical and attending meetings, Crowder did not participate in Sacramento’s midday shootaround. Playing in the game wasn’t initially on his mind.
Crowder, 34, will play his second game for the Kings on Friday night when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers.
This game is part of the NBA Cup. The Trail Blazers are 1-1 in West Group A play, while the Kings are 0-2. The Houston Rockets lead the group with a 3-0 record.
In his Sacramento debut, Crowder played 27 minutes, scoring eight points and grabbing four rebounds as the Kings rallied for a 115-104 victory. Sacramento outscored Minnesota 34-18 in the fourth quarter to snap a four-game losing streak.
The Kings hope that the 13-year veteran’s experience will complement their star trio of De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and DeMar DeRozan.
Crowder, known for his strong defensive presence, has career averages of 9.3 points and 4.2 rebounds in 804 games (435 starts).
Winning is another trait long associated with Crowder. Sacramento is the ninth team for Crowder, who has averaged double digits in scoring seven times. Before the NBA, he co-starred on a Marquette team with longtime NBA star Jimmy Butler.
DeRozan missed the game against the Timberwolves due to lower back pain and has been ruled out for Friday’s game.
Portland has lost two straight games and four of its last five.
The Trail Blazers concluded a 1-4 road trip with Wednesday’s 121-114 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
Anfernee Simons broke out of his slump with 30 points and six three-pointers. He had scored in single digits in four of the previous five games, including a 2-of-14 shooting performance for five points in a 123-98 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night.
Head coach Chauncey Billups was unhappy with Portland’s rebounding as his team was outrebounded 47-38. Indiana grabbed 19 offensive rebounds.
Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (sprained left knee) missed the game against Indiana and is doubtful for Friday’s game.
Sacramento has won six of the last seven meetings, including a 111-98 home victory on October 28. Fox scored 24 points, and DeRozan added 23 for the Kings. Deandre Ayton led Portland with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
