Lakers survive Kings rally after second-quarter burst carries them to 114-110 win

The quarter that changed the night

For much of the opening period, this looked headed for a tight finish. The Lakers led only 21-20 after one quarter, and Sacramento briefly moved in front 22-21 when Maxime Raynaud scored at 11:17 of the second. That was the opening Los Angeles needed. The Lakers answered with a 14-1 burst, beginning with Quentin Grimes at the line and continuing through a Sandro Mamukelashvili three, a Jake LaRavia three, another Grimes triple, a 31-footer from Doncic, an Austin Reaves layup and a Matisse Thybulle three. In a little more than three minutes, a one-point game had become a 40-25 Lakers lead.

Sacramento found some offence before halftime, including two late threes from Darius Acuff Jr., but the Lakers still carried a 57-43 advantage into the break. They did not produce a knockout run in the third quarter, yet they preserved the same shape of the game. Doncic kept getting to the line, Adou Thiero and Grimes finished at the rim, and Mamukelashvili punctuated the period with back-to-back threes in the final 35 seconds. By the end of the quarter, Los Angeles was up 86-70 and had spent most of the night in command.

Doncic set the floor, and the Lakers' depth supplied the rest

Doncic finished with 23 points in 25 minutes, and even on a 6-of-16 shooting night he gave the Lakers structure where it mattered. He made both of his three-pointers in the first half, converted all nine of his free throws and chipped in three assists. Reaves added only eight points, but his eight assists were a major part of the Lakers' ball movement, and Los Angeles finished with 27 assists on 36 field goals.

The more striking support came from the Lakers' bench. Mamukelashvili scored 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting and hit three of his six attempts from deep, while LaRavia added 17 points, four rebounds and three assists on 6-of-9 shooting. Together they gave Los Angeles scoring punch outside the starting group, and the Lakers ended up with 61 points from reserves. Grimes supplied 12 points as well, even with six turnovers, and the overall result was enough offence to survive a messy game on the possession count.

Sacramento's comeback turned a controlled game into a live finish

The Kings had more than enough production to make this uncomfortable. They won the rebounding battle 47-38, grabbed 20 offensive boards and outscored the Lakers 62-48 in the paint. Precious Achiuwa was especially efficient with 18 points on 9-of-13 shooting, Raynaud posted 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Jonathan Mogbo and Daeqwon Plowden helped keep the pressure on with 12 and 15 points respectively. Sacramento also forced its share of mistakes, collecting 19 steals and turning Lakers turnovers into 30 points.

What kept the Kings from completing the chase was the size of the hole they had to escape. When Bronny James scored at 5:21 of the fourth quarter, the Lakers led 103-84. Sacramento then ripped off 14 straight points. Alex Karaban hit from 23 feet at 5:06, Mogbo dunked at 4:32, Karaban connected again at 3:59, Emanuel Sharp drilled a 25-footer at 3:32 and Plowden added another three at 2:55. Suddenly it was 103-98, and a game that looked settled had fully tightened.

Los Angeles steadied itself just enough after that run. Jaden Hardy broke the drought at the line, William Kyle III scored with 1:45 left, and Jarred Vanderbilt added a tip shot to restore breathing room. Sacramento still kept coming, trimming the margin to 113-108 on Nique Clifford's layup with 19.2 seconds left before Cole Swider split a trip to the line. Plowden scored again with 0.2 seconds remaining, but the Kings had simply run out of clock.

Our take

The Lakers will take the win, but the closing stretch should keep the performance in perspective. They led for 93 percent of the game and still allowed 40 fourth-quarter points. The positive side is obvious: Los Angeles shot slightly better from the field, made one more three, and created the biggest separating factor at the foul line by going 31-of-38 while Sacramento went 16-of-24. In a four-point game, that difference was decisive.

The warning signs are just as clear. The Lakers finished with 24 total turnovers and gave up 20 offensive rebounds, which is why a game they largely controlled needed late free throws to finish. Sacramento has its own lessons from the box score. The Kings generated 95 shot attempts, won the glass and scored repeatedly inside, but 26 total turnovers and 10-of-36 shooting from three blunted those advantages. If they clean up either of those areas, a night with this much activity around the rim and on the boards could look very different.

Scoring moments

1. 1st Quarter · 11:27

   Luka Doncic makes 8-foot driving floating jump shot (Austin Reaves assists)

2. 1st Quarter · 11:27

   Luka Doncic makes free throw 1 of 1

3. 1st Quarter · 11:11

   Precious Achiuwa makes tip shot

4. 1st Quarter · 10:45

   Adou Thiero makes 1-foot dunk (Austin Reaves assists)

5. 1st Quarter · 10:17

   Darius Acuff Jr. makes running layup (Precious Achiuwa assists)

6. 1st Quarter · 8:56

   Precious Achiuwa makes two point shot

7. 1st Quarter · 8:40

   Luka Doncic makes 4-foot fade away jump shot

8. 1st Quarter · 8:26

   Maxime Raynaud makes 6-foot floating jump shot (Darius Acuff Jr. assists)

9. 1st Quarter · 7:18

   Maxime Raynaud makes tip in dunk

10. 1st Quarter · 6:25

    Luka Doncic makes driving layup (Jake LaRavia assists)

11. 1st Quarter · 5:55

    Jake LaRavia makes 26-foot three point jumper (Adou Thiero assists)

12. 1st Quarter · 4:53

    Luka Doncic makes 26-foot three point step back jumpshot

13. 1st Quarter · 4:17

    Emanuel Sharp makes 23-foot running jump shot (Jonathan Mogbo assists)

14. 1st Quarter · 3:57

    Jake LaRavia makes 2-foot reverse layup (Luka Doncic assists)

15. 1st Quarter · 3:17

    Emanuel Sharp makes 29-foot running jump shot (Alex Karaban assists)

16. 1st Quarter · 2:59

    Sandro Mamukelashvili makes 3-foot layup (Jake LaRavia assists)

17. 1st Quarter · 2:47

    Jonathan Mogbo makes free throw 2 of 2

18. 1st Quarter · 1:53

    Quentin Grimes makes running layup (Sandro Mamukelashvili assists)

19. 1st Quarter · 49.8

    Jonathan Mogbo makes free throw 2 of 2

20. 1st Quarter · 4.4

    Jonathan Mogbo makes layup (Dylan Cardwell assists)

21. 2nd Quarter · 11:17

    Maxime Raynaud makes tip shot

22. 2nd Quarter · 11:12

    Quentin Grimes makes free throw 1 of 2

23. 2nd Quarter · 11:12

    Quentin Grimes makes free throw 2 of 2

24. 2nd Quarter · 10:55

    Sandro Mamukelashvili makes 26-foot running jump shot (Bronny James assists)

25. 2nd Quarter · 9:49

    Nique Clifford makes 1-foot layup (Maxime Raynaud assists)

26. 2nd Quarter · 9:32

    Jake LaRavia makes 23-foot three point jumper (Sandro Mamukelashvili assists)

27. 2nd Quarter · 9:21

    Maxime Raynaud makes free throw 2 of 2

28. 2nd Quarter · 9:07

    Quentin Grimes makes 24-foot three point jumper (Austin Reaves assists)

29. 2nd Quarter · 8:29

    Luka Doncic makes 31-foot three point jumper (Sandro Mamukelashvili assists)

30. 2nd Quarter · 7:27

    Austin Reaves makes driving layup (Kevon Looney assists)

31. 2nd Quarter · 6:51

    Matisse Thybulle makes 24-foot three point jumper (Austin Reaves assists)

32. 2nd Quarter · 6:12

    Precious Achiuwa makes 1-foot running dunk (Zach LaVine assists)

33. 2nd Quarter · 5:21

    Zach LaVine makes layup (Precious Achiuwa assists)

34. 2nd Quarter · 5:04

    Kevon Looney makes free throw 2 of 2

35. 2nd Quarter · 4:37

    Precious Achiuwa makes 2-foot running dunk (Zach LaVine assists)

36. 2nd Quarter · 4:22

    Kevon Looney makes 1-foot layup (Austin Reaves assists)

37. 2nd Quarter · 4:02

    Austin Reaves makes free throw 1 of 2

38. 2nd Quarter · 4:02

    Austin Reaves makes free throw 2 of 2

39. 2nd Quarter · 3:45

    Zach LaVine makes 19-foot step back jumpshot (Dylan Cardwell assists)

40. 2nd Quarter · 3:15

    Sandro Mamukelashvili makes tip shot

41. 2nd Quarter · 3:00

    Austin Reaves makes driving layup

42. 2nd Quarter · 2:42

    Zach LaVine makes two point shot

43. 2nd Quarter · 1:32

    Sandro Mamukelashvili makes 3-foot layup (Luka Doncic assists)

44. 2nd Quarter · 1:09

    Darius Acuff Jr. makes 25-foot three point step back jumpshot

45. 2nd Quarter · 1:01

    Sandro Mamukelashvili makes driving layup (Austin Reaves assists)

46. 2nd Quarter · 51.6

    Darius Acuff Jr. makes 25-foot three pointer

47. 2nd Quarter · 38.1

    Luka Doncic makes free throw 1 of 2

48. 2nd Quarter · 38.1

    Luka Doncic makes free throw 2 of 2

49. 2nd Quarter · 28.6

    Darius Acuff Jr. makes driving layup

50. 2nd Quarter · 17.7

    Luka Doncic makes free throw 1 of 2

51. 2nd Quarter · 17.7

    Luka Doncic makes free throw 2 of 2

52. 3rd Quarter · 11:03

    De'Andre Hunter makes running layup (Zach LaVine assists)

53. 3rd Quarter · 11:03

    De'Andre Hunter makes free throw 1 of 1

54. 3rd Quarter · 10:35

    Zach LaVine makes free throw 1 of 2

55. 3rd Quarter · 10:35

    Zach LaVine makes free throw 2 of 2

56. 3rd Quarter · 10:08

    Adou Thiero makes 2-foot dunk (Austin Reaves assists)

57. 3rd Quarter · 9:41

    Kevon Looney makes free throw 1 of 2

58. 3rd Quarter · 9:22

    Precious Achiuwa makes layup

59. 3rd Quarter · 9:10

    Adou Thiero makes 3-foot dunk (Austin Reaves assists)

60. 3rd Quarter · 8:53

    Darius Acuff Jr. makes free throw 1 of 2

61. 3rd Quarter · 8:53

    Darius Acuff Jr. makes free throw 2 of 2

62. 3rd Quarter · 8:08

    Quentin Grimes makes 1-foot running dunk (Luka Doncic assists)

63. 3rd Quarter · 7:48

    Luka Doncic makes 15-foot pullup jump shot

64. 3rd Quarter · 7:13

    Luka Doncic makes free throw 1 of 2

65. 3rd Quarter · 7:13

    Luka Doncic makes free throw 2 of 2

66. 3rd Quarter · 7:06

    Zach LaVine makes free throw 1 of 2

67. 3rd Quarter · 7:06

    Zach LaVine makes free throw 2 of 2

68. 3rd Quarter · 6:48

    Zach LaVine makes technical free throw

69. 3rd Quarter · 6:29

    Emanuel Sharp makes free throw 2 of 2

70. 3rd Quarter · 6:00

    Leaky Black makes driving layup (Emanuel Sharp assists)

71. 3rd Quarter · 5:33

    Precious Achiuwa makes driving layup (Zach LaVine assists)

72. 3rd Quarter · 5:14

    Austin Reaves makes free throw 1 of 2

73. 3rd Quarter · 5:14

    Austin Reaves makes free throw 2 of 2

74. 3rd Quarter · 5:00

    Precious Achiuwa makes 10-foot pullup jump shot (Adam Flagler assists)

75. 3rd Quarter · 4:53

    Luka Doncic makes free throw 1 of 2

76. 3rd Quarter · 4:53

    Luka Doncic makes free throw 2 of 2

77. 3rd Quarter · 4:39

    Precious Achiuwa makes 2-foot layup (Leaky Black assists)

78. 3rd Quarter · 3:22

    Emanuel Sharp makes free throw 2 of 2

79. 3rd Quarter · 2:57

    Jake LaRavia makes layup (Sandro Mamukelashvili assists)

80. 3rd Quarter · 2:38

    Precious Achiuwa makes layup

81. 3rd Quarter · 2:20

    Leaky Black makes running layup (Precious Achiuwa assists)

82. 3rd Quarter · 2:12

    Sandro Mamukelashvili makes free throw 1 of 2

83. 3rd Quarter · 2:12

    Sandro Mamukelashvili makes free throw 2 of 2

84. 3rd Quarter · 1:37

    Jake LaRavia makes free throw 1 of 2

85. 3rd Quarter · 1:37

    Jake LaRavia makes free throw 2 of 2

86. 3rd Quarter · 1:23

    Alex Karaban makes free throw 1 of 1

87. 3rd Quarter · 1:01

    Jake LaRavia makes running layup (Bronny James assists)

88. 3rd Quarter · 34.9

    Sandro Mamukelashvili makes 26-foot three point step back jumpshot (Bronny James assists)

89. 3rd Quarter · 5.0

    Sandro Mamukelashvili makes 25-foot three point jumper (Bronny James assists)

90. 4th Quarter · 11:39

    Maxime Raynaud makes layup (Alex Karaban assists)

91. 4th Quarter · 11:11

    Maxime Raynaud makes free throw 1 of 2

92. 4th Quarter · 11:11

    Maxime Raynaud makes free throw 2 of 2

93. 4th Quarter · 10:41

    Daeqwon Plowden makes 25-foot running jump shot (Maxime Raynaud assists)

94. 4th Quarter · 10:03

    Jake LaRavia makes 26-foot three point jumper (Matisse Thybulle assists)

95. 4th Quarter · 9:45

    Maxime Raynaud makes layup (Jonathan Mogbo assists)

96. 4th Quarter · 9:21

    Quentin Grimes makes 26-foot running jump shot (Jake LaRavia assists)

97. 4th Quarter · 8:54

    Daeqwon Plowden makes 26-foot three point jumper (Elfrid Payton assists)

98. 4th Quarter · 8:38

    Jaden Hardy makes driving layup

99. 4th Quarter · 8:17

    Chris Manon makes free throw 1 of 2

100. 4th Quarter · 8:17

     Chris Manon makes free throw 2 of 2

101. 4th Quarter · 7:39

     Jonathan Mogbo makes 4-foot alley oop dunk (Elfrid Payton assists)

102. 4th Quarter · 7:15

     Jarred Vanderbilt makes driving dunk

103. 4th Quarter · 6:29

     AK Okereke makes running layup (Bronny James assists)

104. 4th Quarter · 6:10

     AK Okereke makes free throw 1 of 2

105. 4th Quarter · 5:21

     Bronny James makes running layup

106. 4th Quarter · 5:06

     Alex Karaban makes 23-foot three point jumper (Jonathan Mogbo assists)

107. 4th Quarter · 4:32

     Jonathan Mogbo makes 2-foot dunk (Nique Clifford assists)

108. 4th Quarter · 3:59

     Alex Karaban makes 23-foot three point jumper (Daeqwon Plowden assists)

109. 4th Quarter · 3:32

     Emanuel Sharp makes 25-foot fade away jump shot

110. 4th Quarter · 2:55

     Daeqwon Plowden makes 25-foot three point jumper (Nique Clifford assists)

111. 4th Quarter · 2:36

     Jaden Hardy makes free throw 1 of 2

112. 4th Quarter · 2:00

     Jonathan Mogbo makes 5-foot layup (Nique Clifford assists)

113. 4th Quarter · 1:45

     William Kyle III makes jumper (Bronny James assists)

114. 4th Quarter · 1:12

     Jarred Vanderbilt makes tip shot

115. 4th Quarter · 44.8

     Daeqwon Plowden makes 2-foot layup (Nique Clifford assists)

116. 4th Quarter · 42.0

     Jaden Hardy makes free throw 1 of 2

117. 4th Quarter · 42.0

     Jaden Hardy makes free throw 2 of 2

118. 4th Quarter · 34.1

     Jonathan Mogbo makes two point shot

119. 4th Quarter · 34.1

     Bronny James makes free throw 1 of 2

120. 4th Quarter · 34.1

     Bronny James makes free throw 2 of 2

121. 4th Quarter · 26.7

     Daeqwon Plowden makes 2-foot layup (Nique Clifford assists)

122. 4th Quarter · 25.9

     Jaden Hardy makes free throw 1 of 2

123. 4th Quarter · 19.2

     Nique Clifford makes running layup

124. 4th Quarter · 19.2

     Cole Swider makes free throw 1 of 1

125. 4th Quarter · 0.2

     Daeqwon Plowden makes 3-foot two point shot (Nique Clifford assists)