Three-point shooting has not been the strong suit for the Los Angeles Lakers this season as they have been inconsistent at best. But when they get hot, they are scorching hot.
The Lakers knocked down 17 shots from deep and Kyle Kuzma led five Lakers in double-figures as they kicked off their seven-game road trip with a 115-94 win over the Sacramento Kings. The victory kept the Lakers in the fourth spot in the Western Conference, just a half game behind their Sunday afternoon opponent, the Los Angeles Clippers, for third.
Kuzma led the way on this night with 30 points, five rebounds, and three assists. He really took things over in the second half, pushing the Lakers’ halftime lead further away as the Kings fought to stay within striking distance. He hit 11-17 from the field and 4-7 from three-point range in one of his better performances of the season. That being said it was a complete team performance that carried the Lakers to victory.
Dennis Schroder had an all-around performance with 17 points, eight assists, four rebounds, and four steals while also hounding the Kings backcourt, particularly reigning Western Conference Player of the Week De’Aaron Fox. The Kings’ star guard finished with just 12 points on 5-20 shooting and the Lakers as a whole held Sacramento’s sixth-highest scoring offense to a season-low 94 points.
Markieff Morris continued to be one of the most reliable players on the roster with 14 points and eight rebounds while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit four straight three-pointers at one point and finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Another big star on this night was Talen Horton-Tucker. The young guard has had some struggles recently, but came through with 15 points, four steals, and most importantly, zero turnovers. He also ended the night with a major highlight slam dunk over Kings rookie Robert Woodward II. That was the second poster slam of the night for the Lakers after Alex Caruso threw one down over Moe Harkless.
Marc Gasol also showed his worth as he returned to the starting lineup with Andre Drummond out due to injury. He finished with five points, nine rebounds, and six assists to go along with a number of great defensive plays.
The only negative for the Lakers came with an injury to wing Wesley Matthews. Already dealing with a neck issue coming into the contest, Matthews hit the ground on a drive to the basket and slid headfirst into the basket stanchion. Matthews remained on the ground for some time before being helped back to the locker room. He did not return with what the Lakers called a neck strain.
Next up for the Lakers
The Lakers return to Staples Center for a ‘road’ game against the Los Angeles Clippers, the second on their road trip, after which they head to the East Coast to take on the Toronto Raptors.
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