The Lakers built their biggest cushion of the night in the third quarter, up 19, and watched most of it evaporate by the fourth. Luka Doncic's 23 points held up, but it took a shaky final stretch before Los Angeles closed out a 114-110 preseason win over Sacramento.
The Lead That Almost Wasn't
Los Angeles built its margin to 19 points, the product of an 11-0 run in the second quarter that turned a four-point game into a rout. Sacramento answered with its own spurts, including a 14-0 run in the fourth that cut the gap to six, 98-104. The Kings never got closer than four, 110-114, when Daeqwon Plowden's driving bank shot beat the horn. Precious Achiuwa scored 18 and Plowden added 15 off the bench to make the final count closer than the third quarter had promised.
Reserves Closing, Reserves Shaking
With the lead built, JJ Redick closed the final five minutes with AK Okereke, Bronny James, Chris Manon, Jaden Hardy and Jarred Vanderbilt, a lineup that nearly handed the margin back. Hardy finished at minus-9 in just 9 minutes, Vanderbilt at minus-7 in 9, Bronny James at minus-5 in 22. The better numbers came from the group that built the cushion in the first place: Sandro Mamukelashvili at plus-13 in 21 minutes, Jake LaRavia at plus-12 in 24. Starters and bench finished dead even at 53 points apiece.
Grades, and a Warriors Rematch Ahead
Doncic grades a B: 23 points and a perfect 9-for-9 at the line, but 6-of-16 shooting and five turnovers in 25 minutes are not the kind of numbers he wants carrying into the regular season. Mamukelashvili earns an A-minus on 7-of-10 shooting with 19 points, 4 assists and a block. LaRavia is right behind him at a B-plus, 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting with 4 rebounds. The win closes the preseason series with Sacramento at 2-0, and Los Angeles gets five days before a rematch with Golden State on October 13, a chance to answer the 124-98 result from October 6 ahead of the regular-season opener against the Warriors on October 21.
Who led the Lakers in the win over the Kings on October 8?
Luka Doncic led with 23 points on 6-of-16 shooting, adding 3 rebounds and 3 assists in 25 minutes.
How close did the Kings get after trailing by 19?
A fourth-quarter run cut the Lakers' lead to single digits, and Sacramento was still within four points, 110-114, at the final horn.
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