Sacramento Kings Nique Clifford (10) reaches up to block the basketball against Los Angeles Lakers Bronny James (9) in exhibition play at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Thu Oct 8, 2026 (AP News photo)
Kings’ Fourth-Quarter Comeback Falls Short in L.A.
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento Kings turned a 16-point deficit into a four-point finish Thursday night, but their fourth-quarter comeback fell short as the Los Angeles Lakers held on for a 114-110 victory. Sacramento’s late surge gave Los Angeles plenty to worry about, especially after the Kings struggled to find their offensive rhythm during the first half.
Luka Dončić led the Lakers with 23 points, while Sandro Mamukelashvili contributed 19 and Jake LaRavia added 17. Precious Achiuwa paced Sacramento with 18 points, followed by Daeqwon Plowden with 15 and Maxime Raynaud with 13.
The Kings opened with a systematic surge around the basket. Achiuwa scored twice on second-chance opportunities, while Raynaud contributed a jumper and a dunk to give Sacramento a 10-7 advantage midway through the first quarter. However, Dončić quickly answered, and Los Angeles regained control behind a three-pointer from LaRavia.
Sacramento’s bench provided some late energy. E. Sharp connected on consecutive three-pointers, including a 29-footer that brought the Kings within one at 17-16. Jonathan Mogbo added a layup with four seconds remaining, leaving Sacramento trailing just 21-20 after the opening period.
The second quarter saw the Lakers swarm with no forgiveness.
Los Angeles opened the period with a 19-5 scoring advantage over the first 5:49, stretching its lead to 40-25 following a three-pointer from Matisse Thybulle. Dončić connected from 31 feet, while Quentin Grimes and Mamukelashvili also contributed from beyond the arc.
Sacramento struggled with turnovers and missed opportunities, particularly from long distance. Raynaud provided activity on the glass, but the Kings repeatedly surrendered possessions before establishing an offensive rhythm.
Zach LaVine helped steady the offense with a pair of dunks and a driving reverse layup. Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. then supplied eight points during the final 1:09 of the half, including consecutive three-pointers and his own blink or you’ll miss it, layup.
Still, the Lakers carried a 57-43 advantage into halftime, with Dončić accounting for 17 points.
Sacramento showed renewed determination after intermission. De’Andre Hunter converted a three-point play, LaVine added two free throws, and Achiuwa continued his attack. The Kings gradually reduced the deficit, with Achiuwa scoring 12 points during the third quarter.
A layup from L. Black brought Sacramento within eight at 68-60, and Achiuwa later trimmed the margin to five with another layup that made it 74-69 with 2:20 remaining.
Just when Sacramento appeared ready to complete its comeback, Los Angeles responded.
Mamukelashvili buried consecutive three-pointers during the final 35 seconds of the quarter, both assisted by Bronny James. The Lakers closed the period with a 12-1 run, restoring a commanding 86-70 advantage entering the fourth.
Plowden then provided an immediate spark for Sacramento with two three-pointers early in the final period, while Raynaud continued producing inside. The Kings eventually found another gear behind their reserves, particularly Plowden, Mogbo and Alex Karaban.
Trailing 103-87 with 5:06 remaining, Sacramento assembled an 11-0 run. Karaban connected from beyond the arc, Mogbo scored inside, and Sharp followed with a three-pointer. Plowden then buried another long-distance attempt, reducing the deficit to 103-98 with 2:55 left.
The Lakers answered with a free throw from Jaden Hardy, but Mogbo converted an alley-oop layup to make it 104-100 with exactly two minutes remaining.
Los Angeles regained some breathing room through a dunk from W. Kyle and a putback by Jarred Vanderbilt. Sacramento continued battling, with Plowden scoring twice inside during the final minute.
However, Los Angeles protected its advantage at the free-throw line. Bronny James converted two attempts with 34 seconds remaining, while Hardy and Cole Swider added points from the stripe in the closing seconds.
Plowden scored at the buzzer to establish the final pair of points.
Despite the defeat, Sacramento’s reserves demonstrated their ability to generate offense under pressure. Mogbo finished with 12 points, while Clifford distributed six assists and Plowden scored all 15 of his points during the fourth quarter.
For the Kings, the late comeback offered encouragement, but their second-quarter struggles and Los Angeles’ closing burst in the third ultimately left too much ground to recover.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
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