The Sacramento Kings are hoping that limiting turnovers and reducing fouls can make a difference as they seek to split an NBA-style doubleheader with the Los Angeles Lakers in their rematch on Saturday afternoon in California’s capital.
When the Kings and Lakers met in Sacramento on Thursday, Austin Reaves had 25 points, Anthony Davis 21, and LeBron James 19. However, the key factors in Los Angeles’ 113-100 victory were turnovers and fouls.
The Lakers turned 17 Kings’ miscues into 24 points and converted 21 Sacramento fouls (including a technical) into 25 points from the free-throw line, resulting in a 49-24 advantage in those areas.
Despite being outshot overall 45.1 percent to 40.4 percent and from 3-point range 37.9 percent to 36.4 percent, the Lakers capitalized on these key areas to secure the win.
Kings coach Mike Brown noted after the game that the reasons for the loss were so evident, he didn’t need to address them with his team.
The loss marked Sacramento’s second straight at home after winning three in a row, including two on the road. The Kings have yet to take advantage of a scheduling break that keeps them at home for Christmas and New Year’s in a stretch of nine games with only one on the road.
Another significant number in the Lakers’ win was 34 – the minutes played by LeBron James. This allowed him to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar atop the NBA all-time list with 57,471 minutes played.
To put that in perspective, the active leader on the Kings’ roster is DeMar DeRozan with 39,276 minutes.
James also contributed seven assists and six rebounds in Thursday’s win. Anthony Davis dominated the boards with 19 rebounds, helping the Lakers out-rebound the Kings 53-43.
Depth was another factor for the Lakers, which had been a concern. With D’Angelo Russell scoring 16 points and Gabe Vincent adding 12, Los Angeles held a 30-19 advantage in bench scoring.
Bench scoring has been an issue for the Kings since Malik Monk moved into the starting lineup on Dec. 1. While Monk has averaged 18.0 points over those eight games, the Sacramento bench has averaged just 24.8 points per game.
De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with a team-high 26 points in Thursday’s loss.
