Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By London Marq

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — All eyes were on the rookies for tonight’s matchup in Sacramento, California at the Golden 1 Center. This year’s fifth pick in the draft De’Aaron Fox and the No. 2 pick Lonzo Ball, squared to face-off for the first of four times this season in a highly anticipated matchup.  Though Ball was selected three spots earlier, he has played better through the early stage of the season and it has become a hot topic to debate. Only exacerbated by the fact that Fox outplayed and beat Ball in the last NCAA tournament this past March. The Kings enter play trying to find any trace of consistency in their play. Going against their arch-rival Lakers that are also trying to maximize young assets. The Kings had a lot of motivation to win tonight.

When the Kings have played at their best this season, they played lockdown defense. That was how the night started for Sacramento. They opened the first quarter in impressive defensive fashion keeping Los Angeles to just 19 points in the quarter. Zach Randolph led an efficient offense early, pouring in 11 points, helping the Kings gain a 31-19 advantage after one quarter.

In the second quarter, the Kings kept the ball rolling on both ends of the court, outscoring the Lakers 23-22. This would maximize Sacramento’s lead and they would take a 13-point advantage going into halftime.  The Lakers ended up having a decent night offensively. Six players scored double digits and Ball had a double-double with 11 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. Fox’s stat line was not as flashy with 13 points, three assists, and four rebounds, but he played a crucial role in getting a much-needed Kings win. Especially considering a win over the Lakers always counts for more in Sacramento.

The Lakers gained a bit of momentum in the third quarter, but they would end up allowing 37 points in the fourth quarter. Willie Cauley-Stein had a great game off the bench scoring a season-high 26 points. The game’s final score was Sacramento defeating Los Angeles 113-102.

“I’m thankful for beating the Lakers,” Cauley-Stein said after the game. This was definitely a sentiment that was sure to be felt throughout the locker room tonight.