The Lakers (23-13) will take a quick trip to Sacramento where they will play the Kings (8-30) on Monday. L.A. is looking to bounce back after a frustrating loss to the Milwaukee Bucks as they aim to snap their current losing streak.
Start time and TV schedule
Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings
When: 7 p.m. PT, Jan. 12
Where: Golden 1 Center
Watch: Spectrum Sportsnet
On Friday, the Lakers suffered a rare loss this season, falling in the clutch. For what seems like the first time this season, things didn’t go L.A.‘s way
down the stretch. Luka Dončić fouled out and had a rare off night, there was a questionable late call that went in the Bucks’ favor and the purple and gold just didn’t look as organized down the stretch. In the end, a masterful performance by LeBron James was wasted.
And just like that, the Lakers are now in the midst of a two-game losing streak. They’ve also lost six of their last 10 games. They went from sitting nicely in third in the Western Conference to now in fifth in a snap of a finger. That’s what happens when a team fails to win consistently, which is pretty much the Lakers’ situation over the last three weeks.
Fortunately, they can always turn their situation around in a grueling 82-game season. On Monday, they will face an opponent they’ve already beaten twice. They have a chance to take advantage of a Kings team that’s currently on a seven-game losing streak and rotting in last place of the Western Conference standings.
Here are three storylines worth knowing ahead of this game:
Dennis Schröder and Luka Dončić’s altercation escalated
On Saturday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Schröder is suspended for three games for apparently trying to fight Dončić after the game. These two have been going back and forth with each other since the preseason and the animosity between the two has only continued to grow since.
Knowing how competitive and feisty both players are on the court, this doesn’t come off as a surprise and perhaps the NBA did the right thing by suspending Schröder in an attempt to make sure that nothing further escalates in Monday’s game.
Since Schröder is out for this one, expect more minutes for Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk and Keon Ellis. Of course, the ones to look for will still be DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, who are pretty much the focal point of their offense.
But then again, they’re not very good and the fact that they have the league’s worst offensive rating will prove that. It’s the Lakers’ responsibility to make sure that they get exposed on both ends of the court.
What’s up with DeAndre Ayton?
Speaking of inconsistencies, the Lakers’ starting center has been that as of late. Ayton was once again benched during crunch time against the Bucks. After putting up just nine points and six rebounds in the loss to the San Antonio Spurs, DA followed that up with another disappointing performance, tallying just four points and five rebounds. We’re not ringing the alarm bells yet on him, but his play as of late is worth monitoring.
Hopefully, Ayton bounces back against the Kings, who will not have Domantas Sabonis on Monday. Ayton has played well in both games so far and after two days of rest, it would be great to see him back on track.
Perhaps JJ Redick will try to get him more involved on offense or he simply plays with more effort and energy. Whatever it is, he’s poised to have a good game for this one.
Lakers are slowly getting healthier
With Rui Hachimura expected to suit up on Monday, the Lakers get another key rotation player back. This could mean players will be slotted in their original roles and minutes will further be distributed, which can help solve the Lakers’ consistency issues. Hachimura is by no means a perfect player, but he’s still a 3-and-D wing who provides spacing, shooting and size among others. Getting him back in the lineup could also help the Lakers’ bench scoring issues as he won’t be starting for now while on a minutes restriction.
Remember, the last time these two teams played, Dončić and James led the way, but they got some help from their supporting cast. They also won the points in the paint battle and had a superb shooting night from downtown.
Hopefully, that will be the case again on Monday and it’ll result to a victory that won’t just get Los Angeles back to the win column.
Notes and Updates
- The Lakers are currently 4-4 against Pacific Division opponents.
- For the Lakers’ injury report, Austin Reaves (left calf strain) and Adou Thiero (MCL sprain) are out.
- The Kings will be on the second night of a back-to-back but expect Domantas Sabonis (knee), Keegan Murray (ankle) and Dennis Schröder (suspension) to be out.
You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.
