The Los Angeles Lakers held off the Sacramento Kings 114–110 at Crypto.com Arena on Oct. 8. Luka Doncic scored 23 points in the preseason rematch. Sacramento made the finish close by outscoring Los Angeles 40–28 in the fourth quarter.
The numbers behind the result
The Lakers led 57–43 at halftime and carried an 86–70 advantage into the final period. Sandro Mamukelashvili added 19 points, while Jake LaRavia finished with 17. Austin Reaves contributed eight points, eight assists and five rebounds.
Precious Achiuwa paced Sacramento with 18 points on 9-for-13 shooting. Maxime Raynaud added 13 points and 10 rebounds as the Kings worked back from their deficit. Los Angeles made 31 free throws to Sacramento’s 16, a substantial difference in a four-point game.
CSB Take
The Lakers showed enough scoring balance to win, but the final quarter offers a clear closing-game lesson. Sacramento’s response was better than its early position, although needing a late rally leaves little room for another mistake. Both teams have a useful preseason review: Los Angeles can study how it surrendered its cushion, and the Kings can study how to avoid falling so far behind.
