The Sacramento Kings hope limiting turnovers and fouling less can make a difference when they seek to split an NBA-style doubleheader with the Los Angeles Lakers in a rematch Saturday afternoon in the California capital.
When the Kings and Lakers met at Sacramento on Thursday, Austin Reaves had 25 points, Anthony Davis 21 and LeBron James 19, but the biggest difference-making numbers in Los Angeles’ 113-100 win came in turnovers and fouls.
The Lakers turned 17 Kings miscues into 24 points and 21 Sacramento fouls (including a technical) into 25 points from the free-throw line, giving them a 49-24 advantage in those areas.
It allowed the visitors to win despite being outshot overall 45.1 percent to 40.4 percent and on 3-pointers 37.9 percent to 36.4 percent.
Kings coach Mike Brown noted afterward that the reasons for the loss were so obvious, he didn’t have to mention them to his team.
“I didn’t yell at the guys because there’s nothing to yell about,” Brown said. “They know exactly what we have to do. It’s whether or not we go do it. (Thursday), we didn’t go do it. Somehow, someway, it starts with me. Somehow, someway, I’ve got to figure out how to get them to do it. If need be, I’ve got to find somebody else that can do it.”
The loss was Sacramento’s second straight at home after they had won three in a row, including two on the road. The Kings have so far failed to take advantage of a break in the schedule that will have them home for Christmas and New Year’s in a stretch of nine games with just one on the road.
Another significant number in the Lakers’ win was 34 — the number of minutes played by James. It allowed him to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar atop the NBA all-time list with 57,471.
To put that in perspective, the active leader on the Kings’ roster is DeMar DeRozan with 39,276.
“It’s just a commitment to the craft and to the passion and love I have for the game,” James said afterward. “I don’t take much time in the offseason.”
James added seven assists and six rebounds in Thursday’s win. Anthony Davis had 19 rebounds, helping the visitors dominate on the boards 53-43.
Another difference was the Lakers’ depth, which had been an area of concern. With D’Angelo Russell scoring 16 points and Gabe Vincent 12, Los Angeles held a 30-19 advantage in bench scoring.
“I really felt like this might be my favorite win we’ve had all season,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said. “We had so many different contributions at different times.”
Bench scoring has been an issue for the Kings since they moved Malik Monk into the starting lineup on Dec. 1. While Monk has averaged 18.0 points over those eight games, the Sacramento bench has contributed just 24.8 points per game.
De’Aaron Fox put up a team-high 26 points for the Kings in Thursday’s loss.
–Field Level Media
