Trail Blazers beat Kings 120-107 in NBA Cup play for third straight win

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Deni Avdija scored 34 points and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Sacramento Kings 120-107 on Friday night in NBA Cup play to open a six-game trip with their third straight victory.

Damian Lillard added 29 points to help Portland improve to 9-3. The Trail Blazers are 6-1 on the road, with the lone loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in their NBA Cup opener.

Avdija was 11 of 13 from the field, hitting 3 of 5 3-pointers, and nine free throws without a miss. Toumani Camara added 14 points for Portland, and Donovan Clingan had 13 points and 11 rebounds.

De’Andre Hunter led Sacramento with 24 points. The Kings have lost five in a row to fall to 1-11 overall and 0-7 at home.

Domantas Sabonis had 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Trail Blazers: At Minnesota on Monday and Tuesday nights.

Kings: Host Oklahoma City of Sunday night.

See AP’s full NBA coverage here

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) dribbles the ball during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game against the Sacramento Kings Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) reacts after making a three point basket as time expires for the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game against the Sacramento Kings Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) shoots a three point basket during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game against the Sacramento Kings Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)

Portland Trail Blazers center Branden Carlson (10) is looked at by the trainer after being fouled during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game against the Sacramento Kings Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)

Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija reacts after making a three point basket during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game against the Sacramento Kings Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. flu season is off to a very early start, and it's quickly intensifying.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday posted its latest update, reporting that seven states were reporting high flu activity last week, up from two states the week before.

The CDC also said that more than 3% of doctors’ office visits last week were for flu-like illness, signaling that flu season is really underway.

Louisiana is seeing the worst of it so far.

Flu season “is taking off and it's taking off in a direction that's only likely to increase in the next month or two,” said Dr. Fred Lopez, an infectious diseases specialist at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans.

“If you haven't been vaccinated, you should get vaccinated now,” he added.

The early-season flu activity is higher than what's usually seen at this point of the year, though it's not clear that will mean this season will be worse than others, according to CDC's update.

But not a good sign: The flu hospitalization rate in mid-October was the highest seen that early in an autumn in more than 15 years, noted Dr. Anna Durbin of Johns Hopkins University, during a recent media briefing.

The CDC estimates that at least 2.6 million illnesses, 36,000 hospitalizations, and 2,100 deaths so far this season are tied to flu infections.

The surge began in the nation's South and West, and the states seeing high flu activity so far include California, Louisiana, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Washington, according to the CDC.

It's not unusual for Louisiana to be among the first to see flu season surges each year. That is at least partly due to low vaccination rates, high poverty rates and challenges people face in accessing healthcare, Lopez said.

Doctors expect accelerated spread of flu and other respiratory viruses as people travel and gather later this month for Thanksgiving.

“As we prepare to gather with family and friends over the upcoming holidays, getting vaccinated is especially important,” said Dr. Nicole Iovine, a University of Florida-affiliated infectious disease specialist, in an emailed statement this week.

People should not get vaccinated if they are currently suffering significant symptoms, because the body's immune system is otherwise occupied. But people should get a flu shot even if they already had an infection this fall, because the vaccine protects against three kinds of flu virus, and it's not unusual for more than one strain to circulate each season, Lopez said.

Last winter’s flu season surged in late December and infections were especially intense in some parts of the country. At the time, New York City health officials called it the most intense season in 20 years.

The season faded in the following months, and was basically over by late March. But that spring the CDC estimated there had been at least 32 million illnesses, 380,000 hospitalizations and 24,000 deaths that season.

This fall, most of the illnesses so far are caused by a version of an A H1N1 flu bug with mutations that have the potential to more easily slip through the immune system's defenses. However, data so far suggests the current vaccine “can recognize” the circulating virus and work against it, said Andrew Pekosz, a Johns Hopkins University immunology expert, during a recent media briefing.

Health officials won't know for months exactly how effective this year's vaccine is. But “right now there is no cause for concern,” he said.

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FILE - A flu vaccine is displayed at the a clinic in King of Prussia, Pa., Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)