The Los Angeles Lakers succumbed to a 130-120 loss against the Sacramento Kings, prompting Lakers icon James Worthy to label it as “one of the most disappointing games of the year.”
The Lakers, holding a commanding 19-point lead in the first quarter, allowed Sacramento to seize control with a 21-3 run in the second quarter.
De’Aaron Fox led the charge for the Kings with a 44-point performance, while Domantas Sabonis delivered a triple-double with 16 points, 20 rebounds, and 12 assists, further amplifying the Lakers’ woes.
Former Laker Malik Monk also made his presence felt with 28 points off the bench, compounding the Lakers’ struggles and contributing to their frustrating defeat.
With both teams vying for playoff contention, the significance of the game was paramount, amplifying the disappointment for the Lakers in relinquishing a crucial opportunity to gain ground in the standings.
Worthy, expressing his dismay on Spectrum SportsNet, emphasized the Lakers’ lackluster performance, particularly their inability to maintain their early lead.
“It was disappointing to watch,” Worthy said on Spectrum SportsNet. “From the beginning, knowing the significance of this game, actually these two games that you have with the Kings, as far moving up. You won the last game, you moved up one. And you know that you have to play and win a game at home. Up 19 points you should turn it on. You should play as if it’s 0-0 at that point.”
Worthy highlighted defensive lapses and rebounding deficiencies as key factors contributing to the Lakers’ downfall. The Kings had 12 more rebounds than their opponents, winning 9-3 on the offensive boards.
“You have them down 19. To allow guys like [Davion] Mitchell and Monk, we’ll talk about Fox in a minute, who got a ton of points in the paint. He must have had over 25 or 28 points in the paint himself. And then to have 76 points in the paint, to outrebound the Lakers. Sacramento had 32 assists. They just played three quarters of basketball as if they wanted it more. That’s what it seemed like to me.”
Worthy also pointed to Anthony Davis’ foul trouble as one of the key reasons of the Lakers’ defensive collapse.
“When AD went out of the game, I thought that was it because they would take advantage of the offensive boards they couldn’t stop Monk, they couldn’t stop anybody. This was one of the most disappointing games of the year knowing the significance of it at home.”
