A lackluster effort from the Lakers saw the Kings pick up just their 10th win of the season, 124-112, on Monday.
LA led for most of the first quarter, but Sacramento, who came into the game tied with the Pelicans for the fewest wins in the West, took a lead late in the opening period and never trailed again. The lead reached as many as 20 before a couple of half-hearted comebacks from the Lakers.
The Kings hit 17 3-pointers on the night, a far cry from the 10 they average per game this season and a sign
of how poorly things went for the Lakers in the loss.
The game began with LeBron James going on a 6-0 scoring run. Luka Dončić added a layup of his own, which forced the Kings to call a timeout trailing 8-2 early.
Out of the break, Russell Westbrook converted on a midrange jumper.
Luka started to heat up, scoring six points to keep Los Angeles in control. LA’s offense eventually went cold, allowing Sacramento to go on an 11-3 run to make it a one-point game. Dalton Knecht stopped some of the bleeding with a 3-pointer.
As the quarter wound down, the Lakers fell apart and the Kings snatched the momentum. The purple and gold faced a four-point deficit heading into the second period.
Former Laker Malik Monk ignited with two 3-pointers to start the second quarter. The lead jumped to double digits for the Kings as they took full control of the game. LA had only made two of its 10 shot attempts in the frame.
Luka converted on a midrange jumper to stop some of the bleeding. But Monk knocked down his fourth and fifth triples as he remained perfect from behind the arc.
On the shoulders of Luka, who had scored 15 points in the quarter, the Lakers were able to keep themselves in the game even with the struggles.
Monk finally missed a 3-pointer and on the other end, Luka drained one. At halftime, the Lakers were only down seven.
Sacramento struck first with four straight points to start the third. They continued to strike, scoring another eight points to extend their lead to 16. Deandre Ayton was the only Laker to score with three points.
Out of a Laker timeout, Luka scored on a midrange jumper.
Los Angeles, though, had no answer for midrange king DeMar DeRozan, who had 19 points. Things were taking a turn for the absolute worst as LA just couldn’t defend.
The lead had ballooned to 20 until Los Angeles finally showed signs of life, cutting the deficit to 15. LeBron and Luka were the only starters who were in double figures. Ayton was close behind with nine points.
LA suddenly found themselves surging offensively on an 11-2 scoring run, led by Luka who was now at 40 points, putting on a show and keeping the Lakers close.
Sacramento countered with a quick four points. Going into the fourth, Los Angeles was down by 12.
The final frame began with Zach LaVine converting on a jumper. Vincent knocked down two much-needed 3-pointers for LA. Hayes scored four points, helping make it a seven-point game.
Each time the Lakers surged, the Kings had the answer. They pushed their lead back up to double-digits with 6:18 left in the game. Between Ayton scoring four points and Luka draining a midrange jumper, the deficit was once again back to single digits.
Sacramento, as they did all game, had the answers, scoring eight straight points in the final minutes, sealing the victory.
Key Player Stats
Dončić scored 26 of his 42 points in the first half. He also grabbed seven rebounds, dished eight dimes and had four steals. LeBron ended with 22 points, four rebounds and three assists. Ayton pitched in with 13 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks.
Hayes notched 12 points off the bench. Gabe Vincent ended with nine points. Marcus Smart had two rebounds, two assists and two steals.
The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday at 7:30 PM PT.
You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.
