The Sacramento Kings have had the Los Angeles Lakers’ number over the past couple seasons and had all of the momentum going into the fourth quarter on Saturday night. But LeBron James and Anthony Davis completely took over the final quarter and made sure the Lakers remained perfect to start the season.
James and Davis combined for 30 points in the fourth quarter alone and the Lakers defeated the Kings 131-127 to improve to 3-0 this year. The Lakers started strong, leading by as many as 15 in the first half, but the Kings fought back and took over in the third, owning a seven point lead after three quarters.
But that is when LeBron took over as the Lakers went on a 21-0 run to start the fourth with James scoring 16 of those, including 11 straight. Then it was Davis who took over down the stretch as the Kings clawed back to within a single possession, scoring 14 of the Lakers’ last 19 points including a massive 3-pointer that essentially iced the game.
James finished with 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists for his first triple-double of the season while Davis had his third straight 30-point game to start the season, notching 31 points, nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Though they led the charge, LeBron and Davis had plenty of help on this night as well.
Rui Hachimura had 18 points and nine rebounds while Austin Reaves had some turnover issues but was able to brush it off and finish with 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists. D’Angelo Russell has his best game of the early season with 16 points while Dalton Knecht added 10 points off the bench.
The Lakers did an excellent job on the glass, outrebounding the Kings 45-to-32 while collecting 13 offensive rebounds. But they struggled to take care of the ball with 19 turnovers led by six from Reaves and five from LeBron. They also knocked down 14 3-pointers and shot over 50% from the field as a team for the second straight game.
The Kings were led by Domantas Sabonis, who recorded a triple-double himself with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. De’Aaron Fox added 28 points and 10 assists and DeMar DeRozan finished with 23 points for the Kings who are now 0-2 to start the season.
Next up for the Lakers
After a three-game homestand to start the season, the Lakers hit the road for a five-game road trip which starts Monday as they head to Phoenix for a rematch with the Suns before traveling to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.