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The LA Lakers and Sacramento Kings will meet for the first time this season on Sunday. LA is hoping to win back-to-back games after beating the Phoenix Suns on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena. Sacramento, meanwhile, is looking to bounce back after another sorry loss to the Golden State Warriors. Sunday will be the first of four games planned in the regular season between the Lakers and Kings.
The Lakers struggled to put away the Suns which played without Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. They needed vintage LeBron James in the fourth quarter to overcome Kevin Durant’s team. LA has to play better for a chance to beat the Kings on the road.
The Sacramento Kings, after another close loss to the Warriors, are trying to get back to their winning ways. De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis had superb games against the Dubs but just fell a little short.
Lakers vs. Kings preview
The LA Lakers lost 3-4 to the Sacramento Kings last season. But, they are a completely different team this season with several new additions. It’ll be interesting to see how the retooled Lakers will take on an emerging team that continues to grow in strides.
Lakers coach Darvin Ham kept LeBron James longer than he wanted for their team to win. LA’s new players may still be taking time to adjust that Ham still had to require James’ heroics to save the Lakers. LA won against an undermanned Suns team but will not have that luxury in Sacramento.
The Sacramento Kings fell victim to another Steph Curry masterpiece in the loss to Golden State. “Chef Curry” had 41 points following his epic 50-point explosion in Game 7 of the Warriors-Kings playoff series. Kings coach Mike Brown rued several missed opportunities but was excited with what his team had learned.
The Kings will face another team with at least two elite players. Brown will be hoping they’ll do better this time when they host the LA Lakers.
LA Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings: Odds, total and moneyline
Spread: Lakers (+2.5) vs. Kings (-2.5)
Total: 234
Moneyline: Lakers (+120) vs. Kings (-140)
Lakers vs. Kings prediction:
The LA Lakers have a deeper, more balanced and stronger lineup than the one that reached the Western Conference finals last season. However, they are still trying to figure out how to play with one another, considering the names they’ve added in the offseason.
The Sacramento Kings, on the other hand, have brought back largely the same roster that made a surprising run to the playoffs. Minimal changes will give them an advantage in chemistry on both ends of the floor. Additionally, De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis have picked up where they left off last season.
If the LA Lakers put in another roller-coaster night like they did against the Phoenix Suns, they may not pull out a win against the Kings.
Lakers vs. Kings players to watch:
The LA Lakers plan to monitor LeBron James’ minutes. Darvin Ham told reporters that they are looking at 28-30 minutes per game as his norm. Had the Lakers stayed with that, they might have started the season 0-2.
James scored 10 fourth-quarter points, including several clutch baskets to drag the Lakers to the win. It’ll be interesting to see if Ham keeps him under wraps if the team is battling on the road.
De’Aaron Fox is not going to be flying under the radar this season. He became an All-Star last season and has continued his superb form. Fox went basket for basket against Steph Curry on Thursday. The Lakers’ defense will be focused on him. How he plays could determine if the Sacramento Kings win Sunday night’s game.
