Lakers vs. Kings: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016 Regular Season
The Los Angeles Lakers overcame a 19-point, first-half deficit and held on late to earn a 101-91 win over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night.
After a 1-3 start, the Lakers have now won four of their last five games and moved to 5-4 on the season. The Kings had won two games in a row coming in, but they are now just 4-6.
Los Angeles trailed for most of the night but fought back hard to earn a 74-73 lead early in the fourth quarter. They kept the momentum as the quarter progressed, with this big dunk by Timofey Mozgov helping lead the way:
The Kings had to overcome a run of poor shooting to tie the game at 82-82, but a 10-0 run gave the Lakers a double-digit lead with under four minutes remaining.
While Sacramento fought hard to keep it close, the home team could not regain the lead and ended up suffering a 10-point defeat.
Chris Broussard of Fox Sports 1 had high praise of the young team:
Former MLB pitcher Dan Haren also liked what he saw:
The Lakers saw a balanced effort with five players in double figures and four with at least 15 points. Lou Williams led the way with 21 points off the bench, followed by D'Angelo Russell with 17, Nick Young with 16 and Julius Randle adding 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
DeMarcus Cousins put together another strong performance to lead Sacramento, finishing with 28 points and nine rebounds. He got some help from Rudy Gay (15 points, eight rebounds), but it wasn't enough to build off a hot start.
Nick Mensio of Rotoworld blamed the bench for the struggles:
All five players who came off the bench for Sacramento had a negative plus/minus, while Cousins was plus-one in the game.
Los Angeles ended the game with 21 turnovers and shot just 33.3 percent from three-point range, but the squad did enough to earn a hard-fought victory.
It was all Sacramento early as the Lakers had a hard enough time sticking with Cousins, let alone the rest of his teammates. Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News joked about the center's start:
Cousins had 10 points quickly in the first quarter, showcasing his versatility with long jumpers and this impressive fadeaway:
The lead extended to 30-16 by the end of the first quarter, with Los Angeles struggling in all phases of the game.
A 10-2 run at the start of the second quarter helped the Lakers get the game back to a reasonable margin, but turnovers remained a major problem. Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times discussed the issue as the second quarter progressed:
Meanwhile, Cousins continued to hit his shots, prompting this remark from the Kings' Twitter account:
It took a great finish by Randle, including three late free throws, to cut what was once a 19-point lead to only 55-45 at halftime.
The Lakers continued to claw back in the third quarter thanks in part to Russell's strong play, as described by Mike Trudell of the Lakers' official website:
Plays like this individual effort were a big part of the team's comeback to cut the lead to five:
Once the Lakers added some strong defensive play to cause an extended scoring drought for the Kings, they were able to go into the fourth quarter down only 73-70. Just two possessions into the fourth quarter, the visitors were able to take a 74-73 lead.
The Kings, meanwhile, continued to struggle offensively and took almost four minutes to get their first points of the final period.
A hot stretch by Williams helped the Lakers build up a 10-point lead, which was enough to hold on for the impressive come-from-behind win.
Dr. Robert Klapper of ESPN Radio gave credit to head coach Luke Walton for inspiring the team's performance:
The Lakers will have to take on another elite center next time out with a matchup against Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans. They earned their first win of the season Thursday and will host the Lakers on Saturday night.
Sacramento will have a quick turnaround before facing the Portland Trail Blazers on the road Friday night.
Postgame Reaction
There seemed to be a little bit of a scuffle after the game between Cousins and Randle, captured by Bleacher Report:
However, Cousins explained it as "just some friendly UK love...Julius is like my little brother," per Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated.
Concerning the game itself, Walton was happy with his team's effort in the win.
"Our guys have proven when they play hard & they’re engaged in what they’re doing, they’re capable of beating anyone on any night," Walton said after the game, per the team's official account.
The recent success certainly provides hope the Lakers can keep winning games.
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