Latest Result
Los Angeles Lakers 101-86 Sacramento Kings
Heading into Sacramento to play a young 7-5 Kings squad, the Lakers had a chance to get back to .500 and so they did. By clinching this game in the state's capital, the Lakers have now won four of their last five games and are undefeated in the Tyson Chandler era (2-0).
They did allow the Kings to cut the lead to a very slim margin more than a few times but otherwise, the purple and gold franchise was in control of the proceedings for most of the night. Once again, LeBron James led the way with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists on 55.3% shooting. He got a lot of help with five other Lakers scoring in double figures as the team shot 41.4% from the field and 31.1% from beyond the arc while committing 16 turnovers for the game.
They forced the Kings into 19 turnovers and scored 20 points off those extra possessions.
The Kings, on the second night of a back-to-back, lost by 15 despite being a +9 in the free-throws made category. Sacramento shot 80% on their 20 free-throw attempts while the Lakers made only 7 from their 17. They had an off-night on the offensive end, registering an assist on only 11 of their 32 field goals while they average 24.4 per game (11th in the league).
De'Aaron Fox, the team's No. 5 overall pick in the 2017 draft, led the team with 21 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.
Current Record and Standing
As mentioned earlier, the win means the Lakers are at .500 (6-6) for the first time in this 2018-19 season. In a tough Western Conference, that record has the Lakers tied for 9th spot with the Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Pelicans.
Next 5 Games
Nov. 12 vs Atlanta Hawks - 8 AM
The Lakers are unbeaten against the Hawks in the Luke Walton era (4-0).
Nov. 15 vs Portland Trail Blazers - 9 AM
Nov. 18 @ Orlando Magic - 5:30 AM
Nov. 19 @ Miami Heat - 4:30 AM
Nov. 22 @ Cleveland Cavaliers - 6:30 AM
Key Stats and Notable Trends
- The Kings' 86 points is the lowest total the Lakers have allowed so far this season. Their previous best was 110 points (thrice, once each vs Portland, San Antonio and Minnesota).
- LeBron James picked up the 767th win of his career, tying Indiana Pacers' legend Reggie Miller for the 23rd spot on the all-time win list.
- Coming into this game, Sacramento ranked third in field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage but in this game, they only shot 34.8% from the field and 24.0% from beyond the arc.
- The Lakers lead the league in PITP (points in the paint) averaging 60.4 points per game and this game was no different. They outscored the Kings by 14 in the paint (52-38).
- The Lakers bench majorly contributed to this win, not necessarily in terms of points but in terms of the game's flow. As the team won by 15, four of the seven reserves were in double digits in the +/- category while not a single starter was in double figures. LeBron James was only a +2.
- An interesting stat for the season so far - the Lakers have a net rating of -2.3 when LeBron is on the floor but are a +10.1 when he is resting on the bench.