Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) gets fouled by the Sacramento Kings DeMar DeRozan (left) in the first half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sat Dec 21, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Saturday afternoon in Sacramento. The Kings and Lakers faced off in the second matchup in three days. The Kings lost the first game to the Lakers on Thursday, 113-100. On Saturday, the Kings lost to the Lakers, 103-99.

In the first quarter, the Lakers leaned heavily on the greatness of LeBron James. LeBron dominated in the paint and scored 12 points while helping build a lead for the Lakers. The Lakers outscored the Kings in the first quarter, 31-26, as they jumped out to an early lead against Sacramento. De’Aaron Fox did his best to keep the Kings close with nine first-quarter points of his own. Similarly to the first game of the set on Thursday, the Lakers’ physicality was proving too much for the Kings early on.

As the game progressed in the second quarter, the Kings seemed to get their legs under them a bit. The Lakers were still a lot to handle for the Kings, as LeBron James and Anthony Davis routinely got the Kings in rotation. D’Angelo Russell also put together a solid half of play as he hit his shots and played solid defense, sealing off the passing lanes.

However, the Kings outscored the Lakers in the second, 27-25, to shrink the lead to 56-53 going into halftime. De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with 17 points in the first half, while LeBron James added 23.

In the third quarter, the game didn’t see much movement. The Kings and Lakers traded baskets as the Lakers extended the lead to 81-77 after three quarters of action. The Lakers outscored the Kings 25-24 in the third, as De’Aaron Fox and LeBron James continued to lead their teams with 26 and 25 points, respectively.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings were able to keep things close and give themselves a chance to win. Unfortunately for Kings fans, it was all for nothing as they couldn’t close out the game. The Lakers went on to beat the Kings, 103-99. The ending of the Kings’ game was a microcosm of the whole season. The Kings committed a careless foul by Malik Monk on Anthony Davis and failed to secure the rebound after a missed AD free throw, sealing their fate. It was a disappointing loss for the Kings, who have now lost three in a row.

After the game, the media heard from Mike Brown, Keegan Murray, and De’Aaron Fox. The sentiment was largely the same from all three: the Kings still did not do the little things needed to win the game. The free-throw box-out at the end of the game was highest on that list. The pressure is mounting in Sacramento—it’s palpable. If the results on the court don’t improve, it is almost certain that some roster moves will be made.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Indiana Pacers on Sunday at 3 PM PST inside Golden 1 Center. Tyrese Haliburton will be in town and is sure to be ready to show the Kings organization why they shouldn’t have traded him.