Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings Live NBA Preseason Updates, Scores and Highlights

Luka Dončić dominated that first half without breaking much of a sweat. He put up 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting in 17 minutes.

Sandro Mamukelashvili, who had 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting and added three assists, popped on the offensive end too. With his skill as a passer and finisher, it might be tough to keep him on the bench for long.

For the Kings, it was pretty tough sledding for everyone, especially incoming rookie Darius Acuff, who started 1-of-10 from the field. He eventually got it going, though, hitting three straight shots before the end of the half.

This surely won't be the last time we see some streaky play from him.

Emanuel Sharp is trying to infuse some life into the Kings, particularly on the defensive end, but Austin Reaves took advantage of his overzealousness here.

And the Lakers outside of Luka are finally starting to find an offensive rhythm.

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Kings 41, Lakers 53 -- 0:38.1 left in the first quarter

Obviously, it's not just the scoring with Luka. Most nights, you'll see at least one wild pass too.

This one, early in the second quarter, may have wound up on the career passing reel had Matisse Thybulle converted.

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Kings 27, Lakers 40 -- 5:46 left in the second quarter

Just look at the release on this one.

That shot brought Luka up to 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting in 10 minutes.

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Kings 25, Lakers 37 -- 7:17 left in the second quarter

Sandro Mamukelashvili was an underrated Sixth Man of the Year candidate last season, but Toronto Raptors players are always going to be at a bit of a disadvantage on the attention front.

Now that he's a Laker, expect Mamu's shooting and passing to get far more coverage.

And if he comes off the bench for this team, expect him to be a real Sixth Man of the Year candidate.

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Kings 25, Lakers 35 -- 7:37 left in the second quarter

The first quarter is in the books, and the two most notable players in the frame were definitely Thiero and Luka.

The former looks like he might be ready to log some minutes as a high-energy defender and finisher at the rim. And the latter looks, well, like Luka. He dropped 10 points in eight minutes in his first stint of the night.

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Kings 20, Lakers 21 -- 12:00 left in the second quarter

The list of players in NBA history who made scoring look easier than Luka Dončić is short. In fact, there may not be anyone on it.

His step-back is effortless. He's getting to wherever he wants to be on the floor. And one one of the only plays the defense thwarted him, he quickly found Jake LaRavia for a layup.

Luka has 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting in eight minutes. And stretches like that are going to be routine this season.

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Kings 17, Lakers 21 -- 1:46 left in the first quarter

This is Darius Acuff's only bucket in the game so far. And that wouldn't matter much if he wasn't 1-of-6 from the field with two turnovers.

Of course, this is the preseason. He's a rookie. This is the time to have a rough stretch. But don't be surprised if his learning curve stretches well into the regular season.

Acuff's shot selection was always going to need some adjusting in the NBA. Figuring out the defensive end will be even tougher for him.

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Kings 16, Lakers 19 -- 2:47 left in the first quarter

Outside of Thiero (everywhere) and Luka (as a scorer), the Lakers aren't flashing a ton of energy early in the game.

It's obviously harder to get up for preseason action, but establishing a habit of playing hard early is a big deal.

As reserves start to work their way in, we'll see if L.A.'s energy increases a bit.

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Kings 10, Lakers 12 -- 5:11 left in the first quarter

Adou Thiero is all over the place early. He's poked live dribbles away from two different Kings. He's blocked a jumper. And he's caught an alley-oop in transition.

The Lakers will have more than enough one-on-one playmaking and possessions spoken for with Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Players logging minutes alongside them will have to make an impact with hustle plays.

Thiero is showing a willingness to do just that right now.

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Kings 8, Lakers 7 -- 7:25 left in the first quarter

This is "an abundance of caution" season, so you have to take just about every injury report with a grain of salt.

So, while the Lakers may have a lot of guys "out" tonight, (Trudell also reported that Ziaire Williams, Collin Sexton, Arthur Kaluma, Cameron Carr and Dalton Knecht will also miss tonight's game), that shouldn't be seen as some big red flag for this season.

The Lakers coaching staff is surely just ensuring something minor doesn't become major, while also taking the opportunity to experiment with lineups and give players a chance who might not otherwise get one.

This obviously isn't the regular group. Walker Kessler is missing, and Adou Thiero feels like an awful long shot to be the fifth starter.

But Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves are the Lakers' two best players. They're going to log a ton of minutes together, and probably plenty with Quentin Grimes.

There isn't a ton to be gained from preseason basketball, but the more chemistry Dončić and Reaves can brew, the better.