The ‘Showtime’ era was a magical period of basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers, as they put together a spectacle on the court on a nightly basis. On the way to five championships, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar conquered the rest of the league, ranking atop the elite in the NBA.
On Feb. 4, 1987, the Lakers had a remarkable first quarter on the way to a blowout victory over the Sacramento Kings. Los Angeles owned a 34-11 record at the time, while Sacramento was a dismal 14-31.
The game got underway under the bright lights of the Great Western Forum, with the Lakers never looking back from tip off. After 12 minutes passed, they held a ridiculous 40-4 lead.
The defensive effort was part of an NBA record as the Kings’ four points were an all-time low for a single quarter in the shot clock era, which began in 1954.
The Kings rebounded with a 31-point second quarter, but they also allowed the Lakers to score 31 as well. With a 71-35 halftime lead, the Lakers would step off the gas pedal coming out of halftime, allowing their stars a chance to rest.
A 32-22 third quarter shrank the lead down to 26 points, but still the Kings still remained too far out of striking distance. With Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy only playing 23 minutes, some of the lesser-known players on the roster got an opportunity to make an impact.
The bench unit of the Lakers would outscore the Kings 35-25 in the fourth, capping off the 128-92 victory. Byron Scott finished with a team-high 21 points, while Reggie Theus led the Kings with 25 points.
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