Sloppy play costs Sacramento as Lakers pull away late

Dec 19, 2024, 9:45 PM | Updated: 10:16 pm

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 19: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers is guarded by DeMa...

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

The Sacramento Kings just can’t seem to figure things out.

On the heels of a one-point loss to the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento turned in an ugly performance against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, losing by a final of 113-100 at Golden 1 Center.

Sloppy play on the offensive end (17 turnovers) and a lack of physicality on the glass allowed the Lakers to hold off a late charge from De’Aaron Fox and the Kings, dropping Sacramento to 13-15 on the season.

The Kings’ 6-9 record at home is the third-worst of 15 Western Conference teams. Inexplicable. Inexcusable. All of the above.

Things continue to spiral for Sacramento, and pressure continues to mound around the organization as the Kings slip two games out of Play-In territory.

LeBron chases it down and takes it coast-to-coast 🙌 pic.twitter.com/IDNgYw7eYT

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 20, 2024

Kings vs. Lakers recap & takeaways

Reinforcements arrived for Sacramento on Thursday night, as Keegan Murray (ankle) and Kevin Huerter (shoulder) returned following one-game absences.

After injuring his back during Monday’s game against Denver, Domantas Sabonis was able to get to a place where he could also take the floor against Los Angeles, but even a mostly healthy Kings roster couldn’t avoid falling into a hole early against the Lakers.

One game removed from falling behind by 20 points during the first quarter, Sacramento allowed Los Angeles to catch fire from deep (seven-of-16) during the opening period of Thursday’s action, falling behind by as many as 14 points in the process.

The Kings finally broke through on the offensive end during the opening minutes of the second quarter, jumping out to a 19-8 start to the period and taking their first lead of the night thanks to a burst of scoring from Malik Monk (12 points in the second quarter).

Monk and Domantas Sabonis (12 first-half points) helped bring Sacramento to life, but rough starts from De’Aaron Fox and DeMar DeRozan (combined 20 first-half points on six-of-18 shooting, 33%) weighed down the Kings’ offense and prevented them from lengthening their lead.

Instead, Los Angeles regained a 62-58 advantage heading into the break–one that was fueled by three-point shooting and the battle of the boards (out-rebounded Sacramento 31-20).

OH MY GOODNESS MALIK 🤯 pic.twitter.com/wEGW5L7kYT

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) December 20, 2024

Fox’s struggles carried into the second half as the guard picked up two quick fouls–the final one appearing to be in frustration to slow down a Lakers fast break opportunity–to pick up his fifth foul with 6:47 remaining in the third quarter.

Sacramento turned the ball over six times during the third period, allowing Los Angeles to capitalize in transition and regain control heading into the final frame.

Turnovers loomed large for the Kings, and the Lakers took advantage of the miscues all night long.

Los Angeles scored 24 points off 17 Sacramento turnovers while also beating the Kings in fast break points (11-10), second-chance points (18-6), and tying in paint points (44-44).

The Lakers took over late, outscoring Sacramento 27-20 in the fourth to put the game away for good as disgruntled Kings fans headed for the exits early.

A lot of the negatives for Sacramento on Thursday were caused by self-inflicted actions, with turnovers and lack of rebounding looming large in the 13-point loss.

“The way we played, both defensively and offensively, was not good,” head coach Mike Brown said of his team’s performance. “We got manhandled in the paint. They touched our paint whenever they wanted.”

The fanbase is frustrated. Brown shares that sentiment as well–but the veteran head coach said he didn’t lay into his team following the loss. Instead, Brown pointed to himself, stating that it’s on him to find the right game plan. If that fails, Brown said he needs to find the right lineups to execute how the team wants.

“I didn’t yell at the guys because there’s nothing to yell about, because they know exactly what we have to do. We just have to go do it,” Brown said. “I gotta figure out how to get them to do it. If need be, I’ve got to try and find somebody else that can do it.”

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 19: De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings shoots over Gabe Vincent #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers in the first half at Golden 1 Center on December 19, 2024 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Even though the Kings shot 46 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range, they cost themselves the game with their failure to take care of the ball and the usual leading cause of defeat: Poor three-point defense.

Los Angeles finished the night 12-of-33 (36%) from three-point range, with most of those conversions coming on open looks.

Roster construction continues to be the most glaring issue with Sacramento. Brown was forced to play a seven-man rotation for the majority of the night since the Kings lack the defensive personnel to defend the Lakers’ assortment of forwards (LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura, and Dalton Knecht).

Push is going to come to shove at some point. This isn’t a small sample size anymore. Yes, Sacramento has dealt with injuries to begin the season, but so have other teams in the West.

The excuses are running out. Tension is building. If the losses continue to pile up, the Kings could be forced to make some drastic changes in the coming weeks–especially with the February 6th trade deadline looming on the horizon.

Can Sacramento turn things around before the panic button is pushed? Perhaps. But after 28 games, it’s hard to envision this roster (as constructed) taking the steps needed to get back into the playoff conversation.

Things are getting interesting for the Kings, just not the way many expected following an offseason that saw the franchise retain Monk in free agency and sign the future Hall of Famer in DeRozan.

Expectations were high. Now, we will see if this group can answer the call or continue to fold under pressure.

Notes

LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most minutes played in NBA history (57, 449) during Thursday’s game.
Domantas Sabonis posted his league-leading 24th double-double during the loss: 18 PTS| 12 REB | 6 AST
DeMar DeRozan struggled against a physical Lakers frontline: 10 PTS | 4/13 FG | 0/2 3PT

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

Sacramento will continue a five-game homestand on Saturday with a rematch against the Los Angeles Lakers at Golden 1 Center.

The Kings will play the first leg of a back-to-back against the Lakers before facing old friend Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers on Sunday afternoon.

Be sure to catch all of the Kings vs. Lakers action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage starting at 1:30 PM PT on Game Night before action tips off at 3:00 PM PT from downtown Sacramento.