LeBron James missed a game-winning three with 3 seconds left as the Sacramento Kings survive the Los Angeles Lakers, 110-106.
Tyrese Haliburton racked up 10 assists to go along with 23 points, both game-highs, to lead the Kings. Richuan Holmes was not far behind, dropping 22 points and leading the Kings with 9 rebounds.
In his first game back from a high-ankle sprain, James scored 16 points. He also dished out 7 assists and grabbed 8 rebounds to complete a solid all-around game.
Kings Bench Comes Alive
The Kings got a huge push from their bench, mostly in the second half. Marvin Bagley III, Damian Jones, Delon Wright, and Terence Davis each scored in double-digits off the bench for the Kings. They combined for 47 points, out-scoring the Lakers’ bench by ten.
During a stretch of more than 10 game minutes, from 6:11 left in the third to under 8 remaining in the fourth, every Kings’ point was scored by one of those 4 bench players.
In the fourth quarter, their scoring, led by 8 straight points from Wright, pulled the Kings to within 3 points, helping to spark their comeback.
Kings Mount Comeback
The Lakers led by 10 heading into the fourth quarter. Back-to-back 30-plus point quarters had them firmly in control of the game.
The Kings, however, found new life in the final frame. Not only did they score 32 points, their highest-scoring quarter of the game, but they also held the Lakers to only 18, their lowest total of the game.
With only 7 made field goals, the Lakers’ offense died on the vine. After the bench squad pushed the Kings back into the game, the starters finished the job.
Holmes had 4 straight points to grab the lead back from the Lakers. Davis, who stayed on the floor with the starters, went on a personal 7-2 run to push that lead to 5 points, effectively sealing the game.
Return of the King
After missing 25 games, the longest real-time absence of his career, James was back in action. Entering the game, he was listed as a game-time decision but ended up playing.
Despite the uncertainty, he still played 32 minutes, the third most on the Lakers. James showed flashes on being back in form, leading the Lakers’ offense while collecting a team-high 7 assists.
However, his return was far from one that Lakers fans hoped for. He gave away a game-high 5 turnovers and shot only 3-5 from the charity stripe.
He also shot 1-5 from deep, including a miss on potential game winner with 2.7 remaining.
Up Next
The win helps to keep the Kings’ dwindling playoff hopes alive. A full 10 games behind the last spot in the play-in tournament, they have a lot of work to do to finish the season. They will continue their road trip in Dallas at 8 p.m. on Sunday.
The loss drops the Lakers dangerously close to the play-in tournament. They are now only 1 game from the 7th spot. They will look to rebound at home against the Raptors at 10 p.m. on Sunday.
