After a shaky start, the Los Angeles Lakers welcomed the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday hope to win their fourth straight.
The Kings won 125-110 despite Lakers studs LeBron James and Anthony Davis playing in the second game of a back-to-back. The Lakers fall to 6-6,.500.
De’Aaron Fox started the game with a three-point play for the Kings. Four consecutive Domantas Sabonis goals gave his squad a 7-2 lead.
Early, the Lakers missed simple rim shots, but James hit his first triple. Early, Harrison Barnes hit two 3-pointers to give Sacramento a double-digit lead at 21-11.
Kevin Huerter, Keegan Murray, and Malik Monk all made 3-pointers to expand the Kings’ advantage after Darvin Ham took a timeout to calm the Lakers.
After falling behind by 20, Taurean Prince hit a triple to lessen the margin to 38-25 heading into the second quarter.
L.A. scored four straight to start the second, forcing a Kings timeout back at single digits.
James hit Rui Hachimura for a wing 3 after the timeout before Fox scored a midrange bucket to finish the run. L.A. kept getting closer, with Cam Reddish stealing and laying up before James dunking to make it six.
James walked to the bench and the Kings went on a run, so the Lakers lost all their work and trailed 72-59 at halftime.
As they did at the start, the Kings blitzed the Lakers in the third quarter to extend their lead to 19.
The Lakers struggled offensively and defensively despite James’ 3 and chasedown block on Sabonis. Davis struggled on both ends as the Lakers trailed 104-80 after three.
Ham brought James and Davis back in the fourth quarter to try to make one last run, and the Lakers got within 11 following James’ three-point play.
Kevin Huerter scored twice after the Kings took a much-needed timeout to avoid a collapse. Reddish’s corner shot in the final three minutes kept the Lakers hot from deep.
The Lakers never got over the hump, and the Kings won with free throws.