The Lakers didn’t just win their preseason opener against the Kings; they absolutely dismantled them, rolling to a 127-103 victory on Monday night. This wasn’t just a win, it was a statement. LA was up by as much as 33 points, draining shots from everywhere with a 50% clip from the field and an insane 45.5% from behind the arc. Oh, and they dished out 29 assists as a team. Talk about moving the ball!
First Quarter Firepower and Luka’s Wake-Up Call
Quentin Grimes kicked things off for LA, bagging the first four points. Luka Dončić, surprisingly, missed his first two field-goal attempts, but Matisse Thybulle picked up the slack right away with a triple for Los Angeles. Over on the Kings’ side, Darius Acuff Jr. and Zach LaVine combined for eight points, and for a hot second, Sacramento actually led by one at the 6:50 mark. But hold up, because that’s when Luka decided he was done missing. He drained back-to-back triples, sparking a 10-2 run for the Lakers that was just a barrage of threes. Before you knew it, the Lakers were up by six, and Luka was already in double figures with 13 points. Sandro Mamukelashvili then dished a dime that led to a wonderfully nasty dunk from Grimes, who now had eight. The purple and gold wrapped up the first quarter leading by a solid eight points. You could already feel the momentum shifting.
Second Quarter Onslaught and Turnover Trouble
Jake LaRavia came out firing in the second period, dropping four in a row for LA. Acuff Jr. tried to keep the Kings in it with a jumper, but the Lakers were just cooking from behind the arc, shooting an absurd 61%. LaRavia and Grimes knocked down back-to-back triples, forcing Sacramento to call a timeout just to stop the bleeding. Thybulle added to the onslaught, hitting his second triple of the half. By this point, the Lakers already had three players in double figures: Luka with 13, LaRavia with 12, and Grimes with 11. Thybulle was right there with six. Then Luka hit *another* triple. Cameron Carr then added four points, including a slick fast-break dunk. The Lakers were on an absolutely insane 31-5 scoring run! And here’s the kicker: they had 19 points off 15 Kings turnovers, and it wasn’t even halftime yet. The Kings tried to put together a cute little 9-0 run, but it didn’t even matter. The Lakers were up by 26 at the break. Twenty-six! In a preseason game!
Deep Bench Takes Over and What’s Next
Ziaire Williams started the third period hot, dropping his third 3-pointer of the game for LA. The energy definitely dipped as both teams missed a bunch of shots, but the Lakers still had all the momentum. They were leading by 24 at the 6:35 mark. Carr was having a solid outing, shooting 57% from the field for nine points. Jaden Hardy also saw some playing time and knocked down a triple for the Lakers. Sacramento’s rookie, Acuff Jr., actually led his team in scoring through three quarters with 19 points. By the end of the third, the purple and gold were still up by 22. The final frame was basically cardio for the deepest depths of the Lakers’ bench, with Hardy, Chris Mañon, and Carr all getting some run.
This was a dominant performance to kick off the preseason. If this is any indication of how they’re going to roll, then the rest of the preseason, and the regular season that follows, is going to be something to watch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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