The Lakers began their preseason with a 127-103 win over the Kings on Monday night. They led by as much as 33 points and shot 50% from the field and 45.5% from behind the arc. Los Angeles also dished 29 dimes as a team.
Quentin Grimes got the offense going with the first four points. Luka Dončić missed his first two field-goal attempts, while Matisse Thybulle drained a triple for Los Angeles. Darius Acuff Jr. and Zach LaVine combined for eight for Sacramento.
At the 6:50 mark, the Kings were up by
one.
Luka started heating up, draining back-to-back triples. It started a 10-2 run for Los Angeles that included a barrage of threes. The Lakers led by six with Luka now in double figures with 13 points.
An assist from Sandro Mamukelashvili led to a wonderfully nasty dunk from Grimes, who now had eight points. The purple and gold led by eight at the end of the first.
Jake LaRavia started the second period scoring four in a row for LA. Acuff Jr. scored on a jumper for the Kings. Los Angeles was cooking from behind the arc, shooting 61%. LaRavia and Grimes knocked down back-to-back triples, forcing Sacramento to call a timeout.
Thybulle added to the onslaught from behind the arc, his second of the half. The Lakers had three players in double figures: Luka with 13, LaRavia with 12 and Grimes with 11. Thybulle was close behind with six.
Luka then proceeded to drain another triple. Cameron Carr scored four points, two of which came on a fast-break dunk. Los Angeles was on an insane 31-5 scoring run.
The Kings put together a cute little 9-0 run, but it didn’t matter because the Lakers led by 26 at halftime.
Ziaire Williams started the third period with his third 3-pointer of the game for LA. The energy dropped significantly as both teams missed many shots. Los Angeles still had all the momentum, though, leading by 24 at the 6:35 mark.
Carr was having a solid showing, shooting 57% from the field for nine points. Jaden Hardy saw some playing time and knocked down a triple for the Lakers. Sacramento’s rookie Acuff Jr. led the team in scoring through three quarters with 19 points.
At the end of the third, the purple and gold were up by 22.
The final frame was cardio, with the deepest depths of the Lakers bench getting all the playing time. Jaden Hardy, Chris Mañon and Carr were the standouts of the final frame.
Key Player Stats:
Luka ended with 21 points, two rebounds, three assists and two steals. Grimes finished with 16 points, shooting 5-7 from the field. LaRavia had 12 points with three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Rookie Cameron Carr had a stellar showing, scoring 19 points with three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Williams logged 13 points. He was a perfect 3-3 from behind the arc.
Thybulle pitched in with six points and two steals. Mamu scored eight points with five assists and two steals. Bronny James scored four points with five rebounds and two assists.
Adou Thiero ended with three points, four rebounds and four assists. Jaden Hardy had eight points off the bench.
The Lakers’ next preseason matchup will be against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday at 7:00 PM PT.
You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.
