The Los Angeles Lakers, off to their first 2-0 start since the 2010-11 season, host the Sacramento Kings on Saturday for the second leg of a back-to-back. On Friday, the Lakers rallied from a 22-point first-half deficit to beat the Phoenix Suns 123-116, behind 35 points from Anthony Davis, 26 points and eight assists from Austin Reaves, and 21 points and eight assists from LeBron James.
Davis joined the ranks of Jerry West and Elgin Baylor as Lakers to score 35-plus points in each of a season’s first two games, following his 36-point, 16-rebound performance against Minnesota on Tuesday. He credited his strong start to first-year head coach JJ Redick’s strategy of feeding him in the post. The Lakers aim to maintain their momentum against a Kings team that swept them last season, including two games where Davis was limited to nine and 14 points.
Sacramento, coming off a narrow 117-115 loss to Minnesota in their season opener, will look to bounce back. Malik Monk’s 17 points off the bench gave the Kings a brief lead, but Minnesota secured the win with late free throws. De’Aaron Fox, last season’s leading scorer for the Kings, had 15 points and 11 assists.
This game marks Sacramento’s first with new addition DeMar DeRozan, who scored 26 points in his debut but struggled from three-point range. Domantas Sabonis added 24 points and eight rebounds, continuing his streak of double-doubles from last season. Keegan Murray also contributed a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds.
Both teams are looking to solidify their starts with key performances from their stars.
