Lakers (23–13) vs. Kings (9–30) | Game 37 of 82
Where to Watch and What Time
Location: Golden 1 Center — Sacramento, Calif.
Radio: ESPN LA 710 / 1330 KWKW
The Lakers are on the road on Monday night in Sacramento, looking to bounce back after a crushing 105–101 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday at Crypto.com Arena. The defeat snapped L.A.’s NBA-best 13–0 record in clutch games and dropped the Lakers to 23–13, now sitting fifth in the Western Conference.
This will be the third matchup this season between the two, with the Lakers winning both games by more than 20 points.
Luka Dončić and LeBron James once again carried the offensive load against Milwaukee, but late-game mistakes swung the result. Dončić finished with 24 points, nine rebounds and nine assists but fouled out in the final seconds, while James committed a costly turnover in the closing possession after scoring 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers had a stellar night from 3-point range against Milwaukee, shooting over 40% for the first time in 11 games—at 41.7%. But their free-throw shooting was the outlier, making just eight total on 14 attempts (57%). This was the third straight game L.A. shot under 67% from the free-throw line.
Rui Hachimura is expected to make his return after missing six straight games with right calf soreness, though he will come off the bench as he continues to work his way back. His return is a boost for a Lakers team that has lacked size and scoring on the wing with Austin Reaves still sidelined.
The Lakers have now dropped two straight and will look to avoid losing three straight games for the second time this season.
Sacramento enters the matchup coming off a 13-point win over the Houston Rockets, snapping a six-game losing streak. The Kings have leaned on their star duo of Zach LaVine, who made his return at the beginning of the new year after a nine-game absence, and DeMar DeRozan, with LaVine leading the team at 20 points per game and DeRozan right behind him at 18.
The Kings sit at 9–30 on the season and are 6–13 at home, but Monday’s game still presents a tricky matchup with the Lakers facing a backcourt that can score in bunches despite Sacramento’s overall struggles.
Notable Opponent Ranks Among the NBA
The Kings have the worst-rated offense (108.5) and the 28th-rated defense (119.7) in the NBA. Here are some notable rankings for Sacramento this season:
Sacramento currently sits:
2nd worst in points per game (109.8)
23rd in field-goal percentage
Last in 3-pointers made per game (10.3)
Last in 3-point attempts per game (30.2)
26th in 3-point percentage (34.0%)
27th in rebounds per game (40.6)
Isaiah Stevens (G): Day-to-day
Keegan Murray (ankle): Out
Domantas Sabonis (knee): Out
The Lakers will wear their gold uniforms, while the Kings will wear their two-tone black and purple Statement Edition uniforms.
The Lakers will return home Tuesday night to face the Atlanta Hawks in the second night of a back-to-back.