Overview
- Luka Doncic scored 34 points and LeBron James added 24 on 11-of-13 shooting, while Nick Smith Jr. supplied 21 off the bench.
- The Lakers shot 52.8% and led 68-53 at halftime, then opened the third quarter with a 13-2 burst to push the margin to 26.
- The win snapped Los Angeles’ three-game slide that included a Christmas Day blowout, following a team meeting and rare morning shootaround.
- Reaves remains out at least four weeks with a Grade 2 left calf strain, and coach JJ Redick had singled out Smith as a key fill-in during the guard’s absence.
- Sacramento, missing Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray and Drew Eubanks, got 22 from DeMar DeRozan as six Kings reached double figures.