Recap: Luka Doncic With Another 40-ball To Lead Lakers Past Kings

Coming off back-to-back wins at home, the Los Angeles Lakers hit the road on Wednesday night for their first of four matchups with the division-rival Sacramento Kings.

It’s no secret that the Kings are not in a position to compete right now, and the Lakers were able to take care of business to improve to 7-2 on the season.

Lakers 116, Kings 103: key takeaways

Luka Doncic and Lakers respond after slow start

Lakers star Luka Doncic has been getting out to quick starts in just about every game, but that wasn’t the case in this one as he missed his first four shots and the Kings jumped out to an early eight-point advantage.

Doncic eventually settled in and hit a couple of shots, and the Lakers were able to fight back and tie it at 28 at the end of the first quarter.

You can’t keep Doncic down for too long as after taking the lead early in the second, he came back in the game and ripped off 11 straight points. Zach LaVine and Darius Acuff Jr. also got going for the Kings, but the Lakers were able to take a 61-54 lead into the halftime locker room. Doncic led all scorers with 23 at the break.

Lakers take control

In the third quarter, the Lakers began to take full control of the game as they stretched the lead to double digits for the first time.

Again, it was Doncic leading the way as he went on another heater with 11 straight points again from his team. He was hitting deep triples, but also getting to the basket and creating open looks for his teammates.

The Lakers led 87-74 at the end of the third quarter, and with Doncic on the bench, Austin Reaves kept the pressure on to extend the lead early in the fourth.

They weren’t able to put it out of reach, however, as Doncic was forced to come back into the game for the final stretch. The Kings got their deficit down to seven, but Doncic closed the game out at the free throw line to secure another Lakers win. Walker Kessler was also dominant on both sides of the ball in the fourth quarter.

Doncic has now scored 40 or more in five of his last six games, finishing with 40 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. He is the first player in NBA history to record six consecutive games with at least 35 points, five rebounds, five assists and five 3-pointers.

What’s next for the Lakers

The Lakers will now return home for an Emirates NBA Cup matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night before going back on the road for a four-game trip.

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