As the Sacramento Kings defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in primetime on Wednesday night, grit once again paid off. Now that they have a new rotation, Sacramento looks like a team that is revitalized and is playing well defensively. This is why the team is winning back-to-back games.
First time since LA finished last in the Western Conference in 2015–16, the Kings defeated the Lakers sweeping the series. Domantas Sabonis, who is currently 10-0 in his career against Anthony Davis, put on yet another outstanding performance.
With the victory, the team’s winning run extended to six games in a row thanks to G Keon Ellis’s leadership. Hours before tip-off, Kevin Huerter was ruled out due to an. The second-year guard assumed Huerter’s starting position.
Ellis had a game-changing performance, leading the team with three steals and dishing out an additional 14 points while showcasing his excellent two-way play. Ellis saw his confidence soar after logging 27 minutes of play, making play after play to help shut out the Lakers.
Veteran forward Harrison Barnes was on fire from three-point range in the fourth quarter, making four of them to tie the game high for the night. The Kings collectively made 19 three-pointers at a percentage of 46.3% from beyond the arc.
Of course, Domantas Sabonis led the Kings in paint-running once more, recording his 48th straight double-double. The big man continued his NBA-high triple-double streak with 17 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists in the closing minutes of the game. It was the second straight game in which Anthony Davis was limited to less than 40% shooting against Sabonis.
F Keegan Murray was another starter who performed well against the Lakers, going 5-10 from three point range. With his 11 additional rebounds, Murray tied his career high for most boards in a game.
The Kings will try to win three games in a row when they play the New York Knicks at the Golden1 Center on Saturday.
