NBA – The Los Angeles Lakers will visit the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.
Lakers will be playing without their franchise player the league 4 – time MVP and 3 – time NBA Champion LeBron James due to injuries he suffered from their last game on Christmas Day against the defending Champion the Golden State Warriors.
LeBron James is reported to miss several games due to groin strain which ends his streak of not missing any games in the regular season through post season since 2016 dated back when he was with his former team the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Without LeBron, the Lakers will rely on their young core, especially on their second leading scorer Kyle Kuzma along with Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and the rejuvenated career of Ivica Zubac.
Aside from LeBron James, the Lakers are expected to miss the services of Rajon Rondo, who suffered a sprained finger after the leading the Lakers in a win against the Warriors and Javale McGee is also questionable to play the game tonight?
Meanwhile, in the game the Lakers fall behind in the early quarters, but rallied back with a 14 – 2 run to end the quarter leading by 2 points 34 – 32. Lonzo Ball scored the first double digit point in the game with 11 points and 5 assists.
In the 2nd quarter, Laker Kyle Kuzma gets heated in the game, leading the Lakers in scoring with 23 points at the half. Lakers also won the quarter to end the 1st half up by 6 points 67 – 61.
In the 3rd quarter, the Lakers took an early big lead in the quarter with 9 points 70 – 61 but the Kings brought down the lead to 1 point in their own 9 – 0 run. At 1:33 Lakers manage to post their biggest lead of the game up by 14 points 92 – 78 and end the quarter up by 11 points 95 – 84.
In the 4th and final quarter, The Lakers had a slow start that the Kings take advantage to bring down the lead into single digit with 9.09 to go 97 – 89 Lakers by 8 points. Lakers able to expand their lead back again into double digit halfway through the quarter, but the Kings are persisting and brought back the lead again into single digit with 5:39 to go in regulation.
At 2:49 Kings able to cut the lead into 1 point 108 – 107 in a 18 – 4 run and at 59.6 the game gets even 112 – 112. At 04.6 Brandon Ingram made 1 free throw to extend their lead by just 2 points 116 – 114.
Bogdan Bogdanovic made a game winner trees that leads to Kings victory 117 -116 after falling behind by 15 points.
