Just a week ago, the Los Angeles Lakers took down the Sacramento Kings on the road in back-to-back games. Now, they have the chance to sweep the season series back at home against the Kings, who have lost five straight games and are now going through some major changes after firing head coach Mike Brown.
Defense was the story for the Lakers in both of those contests as they held the Kings, who are top-10 in points per game and offensive rating, to just 100 and 99 points, respectively. It is that level of effort and execution on defense that has allowed the Lakers to look much better as a team over the past couple of weeks and that will need to continue.
Anthony Davis (ankle), Rui Hachimura (illness), D’Angelo Russell (left thumb sprain) and Jaxson Hayes (right ankle sprain/contusion) were on the injury report but are expected to play. For Hayes, this marks a return after missing nearly a month of action although it remains to be seen how many minutes he gets, if any at all.
Davis and his battles with Kings center Domantas Sabonis have been well publicized over the past couple of years and the Kings big is also expected to play after missing their last game due to illness. Davis hasn’t always had his best games against Sabonis offensively, but even if he struggles shooting, what he does on the glass and defensively is invaluable to this Lakers team.
Unfortunately though, LeBron James has been ruled out with an illness of his own with Gabe Vincent getting the start in his place.
With James out and Davis potentially limited, more pressure will go on Austin Reaves, but the guard has proven time and time again capable of handling whatever the Lakers need for him to do on any given night. The play of Max Christie should also be watched closely as he has done a good job overall of making life tough on the opposition’s top guard and De’Aaron Fox is one of the best the league has to offer.
The Lakers getting Russell back to bolster their bench is always good as he sat out on Christmas Day. L.A. is also be hoping for another strong showing from rookie Dalton Knecht, who seems to be finding his groove once again as a reserve.
Turnovers will continue to be key for the Lakers as they can’t allow the Kings with Fox and Malik Monk get out in transition for easy buckets. Keeping the Kings in the halfcourt is crucial, as is defending the 3-point line. Even though the Kings aren’t a great 3-point shooting team, the likes of Monk, Kevin Huerter and Keegan Murray are all capable of getting hot very quickly.
This is a team the Lakers know they can beat, and one going through some issues right now with a new interim coach in Doug Christie. But that doesn’t mean the Lakers can come in overconfident as this Kings team is still very dangerous and will be motivated to not be swept this year.
Los Angeles Lakers (17-13) vs. Sacramento Kings (13-18)
7:30 p.m. PT, Saturday, December 28, 2024
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
TV: Spectrum SportsNet
Radio: 710 AM ESPN LA
Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:
PG: Gabe Vincent
SG: Austin Reaves
SF: Max Christie
PF: Rui Hachimura
C: Anthony Davis
Key Reserves: D’Angelo Russell, Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes
Projected Kings Starting Lineup:
PG: De’Aaron Fox
SG: Malik Monk
SF: DeMar DeRozan
PF: Keegan Murray
C: Domantas Sabonis
Key Reserves: Keon Ellis, Kevin Huerter, Trey Lyles, Alex Len
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
