Luka Doncic scored 21 points in 16 minutes as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Sacramento Kings 127-103 in their preseason opener Monday at Golden 1 Center.
Doncic shot 5-of-12 from the field, including 3-of-9 from three-point range, and added 8-of-9 free throws, two rebounds, three assists and two steals. He also committed five turnovers as the Lakers quickly established control of the game.
The Lakers led 36-28 after the opening quarter before pulling away in the second. Los Angeles outscored Sacramento 37-19 in the period to take a 73-47 advantage into halftime.
Doncic scored 13 points in the first half and connected on three-pointers from 25 feet on consecutive possessions late in the opening quarter. He then added another three-pointer and a pull-up jumper in the second before assisting Cameron Carr on a layup.
Quentin Grimes also made an immediate impact in his Lakers debut, finishing with 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 2-of-3 from three-point range. He added four free throws, one rebound and one assist in 19 minutes.
Ziaire Williams contributed 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting and went 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, while Sandro Mamukelashvili recorded 12 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals in 21 minutes.
Jake LaRavia added 12 points off the bench, shooting 5-of-6 from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point range. Cameron Carr also scored 19 points in 23 minutes, going 7-of-13 from the field and 3-of-7 from three.
The Lakers shot 50% from the field and 45% from three-point range, making 20 of their 44 attempts from deep. They also held a 39-33 edge in offensive and defensive rebounding combined, while recording 29 assists.
Sacramento received 23 points and nine rebounds from Nique Clifford, while rookie Darius Acuff Jr. scored 19 points with four assists. Maxime Raynaud added 12 points and eight rebounds, and Dylan Cardwell finished with nine points and 10 rebounds.
The Kings struggled from long range, shooting just 4-of-23 from three-point territory. They briefly cut into the Lakers’ lead in the third quarter, but Los Angeles entered the fourth with a 99-74 advantage and comfortably closed out the victory.
