The Lakers play the Kings at home
The Los Angeles Lakers are struggling to move forward, and every time the team sees hope, injuries follow. Among the current Lakers roster, players who are missing due to injury are Davis and Reeves and Walker, all three of whom are starter-level existences. But even so, the Lakers did not lose competitiveness, the team still tried to win, although not satisfactory, but never gave up hope. In the last game against the Rockets, James played an extraordinary individual performance, successfully leading the team to a three-game losing streak.
In this game, the Lakers ushered in a more powerful opponent, that is, the Sacramento Kings, the fourth in the West. This season, the Kings completely shed their fishbelly identity and became a member of the playoff ranks. The Kings had extraordinary offensive talent, but this match, Sabonis Jr. was unable to play due to injury.
James turned the tide
The Lakers, who played at home, played a fantastic performance in the first quarter, the bench bombed 20 points, James shot 4 of 5 for 9 points, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block, and the team scored 39 points in a single quarter, unstoppable, but the Kings only scored 28 points, of which Fox scored 11 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist. After returning from the second quarter, the Lakers' hand began to decline, James scored 9 points and 2 rebounds, and Wilson also had 4 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists, but the team only scored 21 points, miserable, and the Kings seized the opportunity.
Fox had another 9 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist, and Barnes also had 6 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists, and the team scored 33 points in a single quarter. So, at halftime, the Kings outscored the Lakers by one point 61-60. In the second half, James was 9 points and 1 assist, and his personal performance was impeccable, but the team still did not find its form, the team only scored 22 points in a single quarter, the Kings bombed 29 points, Huerter 9 points, 3 assists and 2 steals, Barnes 8 points and 2 assists, and the team successfully extended the lead to 8 points, a small point difference.
In the final quarter that decided the game, James handed out 6 assists in a row, and the Lakers hit three consecutive shots to successfully complete the comeback. James then took a break for a round, breathed a sigh of relief and immediately returned to the court. The Kings scored five straight points to stabilize the situation, James scored a layup, and then tied the score 2+1, but Barnes immediately responded 2+1, showing the style of the North Carolina Flying Eagles. Fox caused a foul and hit one of the two free throws. Nunn hit a key 3-pointer, but the Lakers fouled and were blown into a foul, making two free throws and one throw, and the game lost suspense. In the end, the Kings managed to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 116-111 on the road.
The referee decides the winner of the match
The Los Angeles Lakers lost the game, in the final moments of the game, after Nunn hit a three-pointer, the Lakers thought there would be an additional penalty, but the referee did not say anything, the Kings quickly served, the Lakers were caught off guard, rushed up to foul but were blown to convert fouls, this penalty directly determined the game. From the last shot against the Lone Ranger, where Brown's three-point shot was ignored, to the Philadelphia 76ers, Embiid's blindness to Westbrook's foul, Lakers fans seem to have gotten used to this kind of drama and there is nothing they can do.
The 38-year-old James is still magical, with 32 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists, still the best player on the court, but in addition to James, the remaining four players only scored 20 points in total, which was miserable. Wilson on the bench had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists, Nunn 14 points and one rebound, Christie 12 points and three rebounds, and Gabriel 10 points and six rebounds. On the Kings side, Fox had 31 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists, Huert 18 points, 3 rebounds and 8 assists, Barnes 20 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists, Holmes 16 points and 11 rebounds, Murray 10 points and 10 rebounds, and all five Tigers scored double-doubles.