LeBron turns back clock as Lakers stun Kings in nail-biter

After a rough start to December with three straight losses, the Lakers have bounced back with an impressive three-game winning streak, each victory carrying significant weight. They first defeated the Memphis Grizzlies at the Crypto.com Arena and then secured back-to-back wins against the Sacramento Kings on the road. Their latest triumph, a 99-103 thriller, was decided in the final seconds.

These victories are particularly notable given last season’s struggles against the Kings, where the Lakers suffered four losses in four games. This year, however, they’ve flipped the script, winning both matchups against Sacramento, both on the road. Leading the charge was LeBron James, who delivered another vintage performance with 32 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals.

“I just wanted to take the opportunity to get two quality road wins in a hostile environment against a really good team, one we haven’t had much success against in recent years,” LeBron said post-game. In the previous matchup in Sacramento, he also surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the player with the most minutes played in NBA history, a record he seems in no rush to stop extending.

A nail-biting finish

The game was closely contested, with both teams struggling from the perimeter—Sacramento shot 27% (10 of 37), while the Lakers managed just 25.7% (9 of 35). The Lakers appeared to seal the game with three minutes remaining, going up by 10 points (91-101) after a basket from D’Angelo Russell. But a series of poor offensive plays, defensive lapses, and missed free throws allowed the Kings to close the gap to 2 points (99-101), thanks to a clutch and-1 play by Domantas Sabonis.

Sabonis, who finished with 19 points and 19 rebounds, and De’Aaron Fox, who added 31 points, nearly pulled off the comeback. The tension peaked when Anthony Davis, who had a quiet night with 10 points and 15 rebounds, missed two free throws with 12 seconds left. However, Rui Hachimura tipped the rebound, securing the win for the Lakers.

“My wife called me and said, ‘Rui saved you.’ That made me feel worse. ‘Whose side are you on?’” Davis joked, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. “But at the end of the day, we were able to get the win.”

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