Anthony Davis powered the Los Angeles Lakers to a 132-122 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night, recording 36 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists. The Lakers improved to 18-13 despite missing LeBron James, who sat out due to illness.
Austin Reaves stepped up in James’ absence, contributing 26 points and a career-high 16 assists. Rui Hachimura added 21 points, while Dalton Knecht came off the bench to score 18. Los Angeles shot an efficient 59.7% from the field and outscored the Kings 26-11 in fast-break points.
De’Aaron Fox led Sacramento with 29 points and 12 assists in the team’s first game under interim coach Doug Christie, following Mike Brown’s dismissal on Friday. DeMar DeRozan chipped in 25 points, but the Kings’ defensive struggles continued, allowing 33 free-throw attempts for Los Angeles.
The Lakers broke the game open with a 12-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters, extending their lead to 20 points. Sacramento made a late push, cutting the deficit to 123-117 with under four minutes remaining, but timely plays by Reaves and Max Christie sealed the win for Los Angeles.
Sacramento was hindered by foul trouble for Domantas Sabonis, who picked up his fifth foul late in the third quarter. Sabonis fouled out midway through the fourth, and the Lakers capitalized by attacking the paint in his absence.
The Kings (13-19) struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 27.5% on three-pointers. Keon Ellis provided a spark off the bench, scoring 11 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting night, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Lakers’ balanced attack.