Sacramento Kings guard Luka Donic (77) takes a fade away shot against the Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud (42) and guard Keon Ellis (23) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sun Dec 29, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Sunday night the Sacramento Kings (8-24) took on the los Angeles Lakers (20-10). This game was fairly close after the first quarter but the Lakers continued to extend their lead as the game wore on.

The final was 125-101 a total domination by the Lakers. Los Angeles had as much as a 30 point lead in the game and Luka Doncic was unstoppable finishing with 34 points. The Kings played catch-up the entire game. The high scorer for the Kings tonight was DeMar DeRozan with 22 points.

Game recap: The Lakers got after it in the opening quarter of the game leading after the first 12 minutes of play 30-24. At halftime, the Lakers continued to extend their lead. They outscored the Kings 38-29 in the second quarter taking a 68-53 lead into the locker at the half.

Their 15 point lead at the half was their largest lead of the game so far. Luka Doncic was presenting all sorts of problems for Sacramento scoring 24 points in the opening half. LeBron James had 12 points and between James and Doncic were doing a fair amount of the heaving lifting.

Going into the second half, the Kings had to find a way to contain both James and Doncic. Sacramento’s percentage from the line was not at all impressive shooting at 67% especially since the Lakers were hitting 89% of their free throws.

Turnovers had been a problem for the Kings in the opening half already with 11 compared to the Lakers clean play with only four turnovers. The Lakers were cleaning up in the paint as well. Los Angeles was also dominating from beyond the arc. The Kings had a lot of work to do in the second half of this game and having to operate so terribly short-handed it would be an epic challenge for the team. The only Sacramento player in double digits in the first half was DeMar DeRozan.

This game continued on the same path in the third quarter with the Lakers pushing their lead further and further out. Four minutes into the quarter the Lakers had a 26-point lead 81-55. The Kings were so far behind the eight ball chances for a second win in a row were just about extinguished.

The Lakers continued to maintain at least a 20-point lead throughout the third quarter. Los Angeles had a vice-like grip on this game and showed little signs of letting up. With Doncic taking his 31 points into the fourth quarter he was dominating the game. The Lakers outscored the Kings in the third quarter 31-27 taking a 99-80 lead into the fourth.

The Lakers cruised through the fourth quarter taking as much as a 30 point lead. They outscored the Kings in the final quarter 23-19 and that was the ball game. The final was 125-101 in favor of Los Angeles. Luka Doncic finished the game with 34 points; he was unstoppable and alongside LeBron who had 24 points they simply dominated from start to finish. The Laker’s Nick Smith Jr. had a banner day off the bench scoring 21 points in 23 minutes. His play certainly impacted this game.

The Kings with their bevy of injured starters struggled from start to finish. They fell further and further behind with each quarter. DeMar DeRozan had the high for the team with 22 points. Maxime Raynaud had a double double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, certainly a bright spot in this game. Three bench players finished the game with 11 points apiece. Dennis Schroeder, Malik Monk and Nique Glifford accounted for 33 points of the 43 scored off the bench.

Game notes: After beating the Mavericks 113-107 Saturday night at home, the Kings jetted off to Los Angeles for a game against the Lakers (20-10) Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena. This was a rough game for Sacramento having to contain not only LeBron James but also Luka Doncic and a host of offensive weapons in Dennis Ayton, Marcus Smart and Rui Hachimura.

The Kings were really short-handed with Domantas Sabonis (Meniscus tear), Zach LaVine (left ankle sprain), Keegan Murray (right calf strain) and Devon Carter (left ankle sprain). This is nothing new for the Kings in fact the Kings has not played at full-strength all season.

Murray missed a slew of games to start the season and he is now out for more than likely a month. The Kings have been battling injury all season and along with less than stellar play on the court this team will no doubt look a whole lot different after the trade deadline has come and gone.

The Lakers will be missing the play of Austin Reeves expected to miss a month out with a left calf strain. The Lakers starting roster Saturday night still presented a major challenge for Sacramento.

Next up for the Kings will be this coming Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite having a 10-23 record, the Clippers are highly favored. Until the Sacramento Kings can get on court without more than half of their starters out, this is going to be a rough road to traverse. Tipoff for this game is a late one scheduled for 8:00 PM PT.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.