On the same day that Natt took over as coach for the fired Reggie Theus, Sacramento (7-18) won 118-103 at home against Minnesota on Monday for just its second victory in 12 games.

Theus, who went 44-62 in his brief tenure with the Kings, became the sixth NBA coach to be fired this season, leaving the veteran assistant Natt to become Sacramento's fourth coach in less than three years.

"He's a heck of a coach, so I'm looking forward to a lot more accountability from everybody," said Kings forward Brad Miller, who had 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Playing with a simplified game plan under their new coach and without leading scorer Kevin Martin for the 16th game due to an injured left ankle, Francisco Garcia scored 21 points and John Salmons added 17 for the Kings, who hit a season-high 10 3-pointers and shot 50.6 percent from the field.

"Coach just let us play free, and we played for ourselves," said Garcia, one of eight Kings that scored in double figures. "We all know him, and everybody here felt he came in and did a good job. We're all behind him."

Keeping Natt's coaching record perfect won't be easy as the Kings open a four-game road swing Tuesday. Sacramento, which has lost four straight and seven of nine on the road, is 0-2 this season against Portland (15-10).

Salmons is averaging a team-leading 19.3 points on the season, but just 6.6 in 17 career games against the Trail Blazers.

Facing the Kings could help Portland end its three-game losing streak after falling 120-112 in double-overtime to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.

Brandon Roy scored a career-high 38 points while Greg Oden had 15 and a career-high 15 rebounds, but the Trail Blazers failed to counter after the Clippers scored four unanswered baskets in the second overtime. It was Portland's fourth loss in five games since winning six in a row.

"You've got to take it in stride and move on," Portland guard Steve Blake said.

One of the NBA's better defensive teams allowing 95.2 points per game, the Blazers have given up an average of 108.7 during their current losing streak.

Roy has been dominant of late as he tries to reach the 30-point mark for a fourth consecutive contest. He is averaging 33.7 points on 51.4 percent shooting in his last three games.

"Down the stretch we put the ball in his hands," coach Nate McMillan told the Blazers' official Web site. "He's so good at making reads, knowing just how to maneuver and keep us in the game."

Roy is averaging a career-high 22.0 points this season, scoring 28 in Portland's 91-90 home win over Sacramento on Nov. 24 in the teams' most recent meeting.