Lakers Fall in Must-Win Game Against Kings

The Lakers couldn’t take care of business Wednesday night and got handed an embarrassing 130-122 loss against the Sacramento Kings.

After taking a 19-point lead in the first quarter the Kings started taking advantage of the Lakers’ poor perimeter defense. They outscored the Lakers 44-20 in the second quarter and would go on a 30-9 run to end the half.

The Kings faced no adversity the rest of the game, ultimately going on a 54-20 run displaying complete dominance on both sides of the ball.

The Lakers also had no answer for their superstar guards, De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk.  Fox had a game-high 44 points and got to the rim at will. Monk, who was a catalyst for the Kings’ comeback had 26 points off the bench. 

The Lakers seemed to have made the right adjustments in terms of starting off the game with the right energy. Unfortunately, they just couldn’t sustain that energy against a young and hungry Kings team.

Darvin Ham was asked about what went wrong against Sacramento’s incredible backcourt. “Both of those guys are tough because they make the shots you’re trying to give up.” Ham emphasized a failed game-plan against the Kings, but the loss signified a lack of effort once again. 

“We have to have a better sense of urgency…we initiated it but didn’t sustain it,” Ham said. The Lakers just can’t seem to find that last piece of the puzzle when trying to string together a high-energy stretch. 

To make matters worse, LeBron exited the game early due to a reoccurring ankle injury. The ankle has been a consistent problem for LeBron and with the playoffs still 18 games away, there is no time to heal a serious injury.

“I’ll be alright,” was LeBron’s candid message after the game so there is a strong indication he will be on the floor when the Lakers take on the Bucks Friday night.