{"id":531139,"date":"2026-01-12T06:26:18","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T06:26:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/531139\/"},"modified":"2026-01-12T06:26:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T06:26:18","slug":"lakers-vs-kings-preview-can-l-a-solve-their-inconsistencies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/531139\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakers vs. Kings preview: Can L.A. solve their inconsistencies?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Lakers (23-13) will take a quick trip to Sacramento where they will play the Kings (8-30) on Monday. L.A. is looking to bounce back after a frustrating loss to the Milwaukee Bucks<\/a> as they aim to snap their current losing streak.<\/p>\n

Start time and TV schedule<\/p>\n

Who:\u00a0Los Angeles Lakers<\/a>\u00a0vs. Sacramento Kings<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

When:\u00a07 p.m. PT, Jan. 12<\/p>\n

Where: Golden 1 Center<\/p>\n

Watch: Spectrum Sportsnet<\/p>\n

On Friday, the Lakers suffered a rare loss this season, falling in the clutch. For what seems like the first time this season, things didn\u2019t go L.A.\u2018s way down the stretch. Luka Don\u010di\u0107 fouled out and had a rare off night, there was a questionable late call that went in the Bucks\u2019 favor and the purple and gold just didn\u2019t look as organized down the stretch. In the end, a masterful performance by LeBron James was wasted.<\/p>\n

And just like that, the Lakers are now in the midst of a two-game losing streak. They\u2019ve also lost six of their last 10 games. They went from sitting nicely in third in the Western Conference to now in fifth in a snap of a finger. That\u2019s what happens when a team fails to win consistently, which is pretty much the Lakers\u2019 situation over the last three weeks.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

Fortunately, they can always turn their situation around in a grueling 82-game season. On Monday, they will face an opponent they\u2019ve already beaten twice. They have a chance to take advantage of a Kings team that\u2019s currently on a seven-game losing streak and rotting in last place of the Western Conference standings.<\/p>\n

Here are three storylines worth knowing ahead of this game:<\/p>\n

Dennis Schr\u00f6der and Luka Don\u010di\u0107\u2019s altercation escalated<\/p>\n

On Saturday, ESPN\u2019s Shams Charania reported<\/a> that Schr\u00f6der is suspended for three games for apparently trying to fight Don\u010di\u0107 after the game.<\/a> These two have been going back and forth with each other since the preseason<\/a> and the animosity between the two has only continued to grow since.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

Knowing how competitive and feisty both players are on the court, this doesn\u2019t come off as a surprise and perhaps the NBA did the right thing by suspending Schr\u00f6der in an attempt to make sure that nothing further escalates in Monday\u2019s game.<\/p>\n

Since Schr\u00f6der is out for this one, expect more minutes for Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk and Keon Ellis. Of course, the ones to look for will still be DeMar\u00a0DeRozan<\/a> and Zach\u00a0LaVine<\/a>, who are pretty much the focal point of their offense.<\/p>\n

But then again, they\u2019re not very good and the fact that they have the league\u2019s worst offensive rating will prove that. It\u2019s the Lakers\u2019 responsibility to make sure that they get exposed on both ends of the court.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s up with DeAndre Ayton?<\/p>\n

Speaking of inconsistencies, the Lakers\u2019 starting center has been that as of late. Ayton was once again benched during crunch time against the Bucks. After putting up just nine points and six rebounds in the loss to the San Antonio Spurs<\/a>, DA followed that up with another disappointing performance, tallying just four points and five rebounds. We\u2019re not ringing the alarm bells yet on him, but his play as of late is worth monitoring.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

Hopefully, Ayton bounces back against the Kings, who will not have Domantas Sabonis on Monday. Ayton has played well in both games so far and after two days of rest, it would be great to see him back on track.<\/p>\n

Perhaps JJ Redick will try to get him more involved on offense or he simply plays with more effort and energy. Whatever it is, he\u2019s poised to have a good game for this one.<\/p>\n

Lakers are slowly getting healthier <\/p>\n

With Rui Hachimura expected to suit up on Monday<\/a>, the Lakers get another key rotation player back. This could mean players will be slotted in their original roles and minutes will further be distributed, which can help solve the Lakers\u2019 consistency issues. Hachimura is by no means a perfect player, but he\u2019s still a 3-and-D wing who provides spacing, shooting and size among others. Getting him back in the lineup could also help the Lakers\u2019 bench scoring issues as he won\u2019t be starting for now while on a minutes restriction.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

Remember, the last time these two teams played, Don\u010di\u0107 and James led the way, but they got some help from their supporting cast. They also won the points in the paint battle and had a superb shooting night from downtown.<\/p>\n

Hopefully, that will be the case again on Monday and it\u2019ll result to a victory that won\u2019t just get Los Angeles back to the win column.<\/p>\n

Notes and Updates<\/p>\n

The Lakers are currently 4-4 against Pacific Division opponents.<\/p>\n

For the Lakers\u2019 injury report, Austin Reaves (left calf strain) and Adou Thiero (MCL sprain) are out.<\/p>\n

The Kings will be on the second night of a back-to-back but expect Domantas Sabonis (knee), Keegan Murray (ankle) and Dennis Schr\u00f6der (suspension) to be out.<\/p>\n

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at\u00a0@nicoleganglani<\/a>.<\/p>\n