Kings kept it close, but fell to Lakers again in preseason

The Sacramento Kings kept it closer this time, but still ultimately fell 114-110 in their second consecutive preseason matchup with the Lakers.

BY BRENDEN NUNES

Oct 8, 2026, 10:48 PM

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 08: Maxime Raynaud #42 of the Sacramento Kings rebounds against K...

Maxime Raynaud #42 of the Sacramento Kings rebounds against Kevon Looney #55 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter in a preseason game at Crypto.com Arena on October 08, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

(Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

The Sacramento Kings had a few things they wanted to clean up as they headed into their second preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

They improved from a very low bar, with more competitive stretches and a few promising individual performances.

Their young reserves made things interesting late, but inconsistent shooting and costly turnovers contributed to a 114-110 loss, dropping Sacramento to 0-2 in the preseason.

Ben Simmons, Keegan Murray, Malik Monk, and Domantas Sabonis didn’t play for Sacramento, while Los Angeles missed Cameron Carr, Walker Kessler, Dalton Knecht, Collin Sexton, Ziaire Williams, and Arthur Kaluma.

Precious Achiuwa led Sacramento with 18 points and five rebounds on 9/13 shooting.

Daeqwon Plowden scored all 15 of his points in the fourth quarter, while Maxime Raynaud finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks.

The Kings shot 44.2% (42/95) from the field and 27.8% (10/36) from three.

They generated 62 paint points and grabbed 20 offensive rebounds for 22 second-chance points, but committed 26 turnovers and allowed too many trips to the free-throw line.

Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers Game Notes

Precious Achiuwa started the game guarding Doncic rather than De’Andre Hunter, who drew the assignment in game one. Acuff took on Reaves.

Sacramento’s early offense came primarily from the paint, scoring their first 10 points inside and grabbing four offensive rebounds.

Rookie Emanuel Sharp made his presence felt off the bench, playing physical defense and not hesitating to shoot from three.

The second-rounder let it fly, hitting both of Sacramento’s first-quarter triples while the rest of the team went 0/4 from distance.

Four-point play for rookie Emaneul Sharp!(he missed the FT but still)He’s 2/3 from 3. The rest of the Kings are 0/3 from deep. https://t.co/eqpXU6CN5V— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) October 9, 2026

Christie went deeper into his bench early, giving Jonathan Mogbo, Elfrid Payton, Alex Karaban, and Leaky Black chances to prove their worth.

Seven offensive rebounds produced eight second-chance points in the opening frame, keeping Sacramento within one (21-20) despite shooting just 8/23 from the field.

Doncic scored 10 points on 4/7 shooting in 12 minutes. Meanwhile, Acuff struggled with just 2 points on 1/6 shooting.

The Lakers built a second-quarter lead, outscoring Sacramento 36-23 while shooting 11/18 from the field and 5/10 from three. Their lead reached 16 as the Kings continued to struggle.

Acuff found a rhythm right before the half ended. After starting 1/10, he closed the half with three consecutive makes, including two triples.

Darius ATUFF 5️⃣ https://t.co/9gdgNIhINI

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) October 9, 2026

Seeing the 19-year-old stay aggressive was a prime example of the poise teammates, staffers, and opponents often compliment him on.

He led Sacramento with 10 points at the break, followed by Achiuwa’s eight.

Maxime Raynaud added seven points and eight rebounds, while Dylan Cardwell brought down five of the Kings’ 12 offensive boards.

Sacramento trailed 57-43 at the break, shooting 37.5% (18/48) from the field, and 21.1% (4/19) from three.

Doncic led Los Angeles with 17 points, while Reaves added six assists. Despite forcing 12 Lakers turnovers, Los Angeles shot 52.6%.

Acuff continued looking to get downhill coming out of halftime, finally reaching the free-throw line. But he missed both third-quarter shots after a strong first half.

Sacramento found life with Achiuwa at center alongside Flagler, Sharp, LaVine, and Black. His finishing, paired with capable shooters, helped cut the Lakers’ advantage to eight.

The Kings kept chipping away as Doncic’s night was over. A 17-6 run brought Sacramento within five (74-69).

Achiuwa scored 10 points on 5/6 shooting in the frame, bringing his total to 18 on 9/13 from the field. Sacramento also converted 11/13 free throws.

Yet, they allowed Los Angeles to close the quarter on a 12-1 run, undoing that progress and taking an 86-70 lead into the final 12 minutes.

Sacramento missed all seven triples they attempted in the third, dropping to 4/26 from distance.

Their bench, led by several young contributors, kept fighting in the final frame.

The Lakers’ lead grew to 19, but Sharp, Clifford, Plowden, Karaban, and Mogbo rattled off 14 straight points, cutting the deficit to five with less than three minutes remaining.

Plowden provided much of the scoring, tallying all 15 of his points in the fourth, including 3/6 from deep.

Daeqwon from deep 🎯 https://t.co/3Nuz9GANHf

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) October 9, 2026

Karaban made both of his three-point attempts, while Sharp continued to make an impact defensively, even if that came with a few too many fouls

Clifford dished out six assists in the quarter, and Mogbo scored eight of his 12 points as Sacramento’s reserves brought life back into the game.

After struggling from distance for three quarters, the Kings converted 6/10 triples in the fourth. They outscored Los Angeles 40-28 in the frame, making the closing minutes considerably more competitive.

They ultimatley fell 114-110, dropping to 0-2 in the preseason, but their late fight was nice to see.

Achiuwa led the Kings with 18 points, while Raynaud finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Raynaud finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks, while Mogbo added 12 points and six boards.

Acuff contributed 12 points on 4/15 shooting. LaVine added 11 points, four assists, and four steals.

Doncic led Los Angeles with 23 points, followed by Mamukelashvili (19) and LaRavia (17).

Sacramento shot 44.2% (42/95) overall and 27.8% (10/36) from three. The Kings tallied 62 points in the paint, and 22 second-chance points off 20 offensive rebounds, but committed 26 turnovers.

Their physical play led to Los Angeles converting 31/38 from the free-throw line compared with Sacramento’s 16/24.

With two preseason games in the books, both against the Lakers, the Kings sit at 0-2. Next up is a matchup against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Saturday.