Third in the West, the Kings sink the Lakers

Against the Rockets, two days ago, the Lakers were serious. They only had one turnover in the first quarter, and they finished the period 18-5 behind the offense of LeBron James and Russell Westbrook (39-28). The Kings are a wise choice as they are without Domantas Sabonis.

De’Aaron Fox, who has been unstoppable since the beginning of the match, then stepped on the gas pedal. Sacramento’s defense also sets the tone, and the Lakers go on a 14-4 restart (51-50). Despite the efforts of “King James”, Keegan Murray’s 3-pointer allows the “Kings” to take the lead at halftime (61-60).

Awakening of Kings is confirmed after the break. With the exception of LeBron James, the Lakers have no answer for Sacramento’s defense. Kevin Huerter and Harrison Barnes set the sights and 18-5 puts the Kings at +14 (88-74). Led by Kendrick Nunn and Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles responded with a 17-6 run in the third and fourth quarters to get back within 2 (96-94).

Russell Westbrook put two teams back-to-back, but Kevin Huerter and De’Aaron Fox gave their team a five-point lead (108-103) with less than three minutes to play.

2+1 from LeBron James ties the Lakers with the Kings, but Barnes imitates the King. Despite Kendrick Nunn’s unexpected 3-pointer, the Kings didn’t falter at the free throw line and earned their fifth straight win, while their fans chanted “Light The Beam” in the closing seconds!

WHAT TO REMEMBER

– No Sabonis, no problem. Despite the absence of an All-Star pivot, the Kings dominated proceedings near the rim. After giving up 24 points in the first quarter, Sacramento took the barbed wire to dominate the final three quarters (42-26). Mike Brown’s men also controlled the rebounding, including 14 offensive rebounds that turned into 20 points on second-chance shots.

– LeBron James plays unselfishly late in the game. After scoring 27 points through three quarters, he then became a creator for his teammates, dishing out 7 of his 9 assists in the final period to reverse the Kings’ defensive shift. However, I wonder if the “King”, who was playing with a bruised left ankle, did not lack juice in the last minutes? He finished 1 of 7 shooting over the final twelve minutes.

– Virus hit kings. Hours before the game, Domantas Sabonis, Matthew Dellavedova and Alex Len were added to the list of uncertain players. As Mike Brown revealed before the game, several players on his team were down with stomach pains. ” It’s not a meaningless thing. A few players are sick, some will miss the match, but I don’t think it will affect our team in the long run. »

TOPS/FLOPS

✅ De’Aaron Fox. The orphan of Kings leader Domantas Sabonis took charge. He led his team to victory with 31 points and 6 assists.

✅ Richaun Holmes. Owned in the absence of Domantas Sabonis, he finished with a double-double (16 points and 11 rebounds), all on 7-of-7 shooting. Proof that he can still deliver great services.

✅ LeBron James. The King kept his team at arm’s length to give them a chance late in the game. He again finished with a perfect stat line of 32 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds.

✅ Russell Westbrook – Kendrick Nunn. Both players scored 19 and 14 points off the bench. Russell Westbrook added 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

✅⛔ Harrison Barnes. The winger was crucial late in the game, but his 20 points didn’t overshadow a poor 6-of-17 shooting performance.

⛔ Patrick Beverley – Dennis Schroeder. The two starting guards were transparent throughout the game, scoring just 8 points between them on 3-of-10 shooting.

NEXT

LA Lakers (20-25) : Taking on the Grizzlies, who are on a streak of ten straight wins, entering Friday.

Sacramento (25-18): Reception of thunder on Friday.