Los Angeles Lakers Hold Out Sacramento Kings in Close Finish, 99-97

Los Angeles Lakers got away with a close win against the Sacramento Kings, 99-97.

Harrison Barnes had a chance to tie the game, but Anthony Davis stopped his shot under the rim. However, the Kings’ forward did pick up a lot of contact during his layup attempt, and before that. Sacramento’s coach Luke Walton, wasn’t happy at all with this decision.

“Ask (referee) Rodney (Mott) what he thinks. … I think it just got stole away from us,” Buddy Hield said to the journalists.

Anyway, it was a superb game to watch at the Staples Center between the two divisional rivals who are in excellent shape. The Lakers had 9 wins and just two losses coming up into this event, while the Kings won four out of the previous five contests. In the end the No.1 team in the West won.

“Unfortunate, we didn’t win. But that is the best team in the West, and we gave ourselves a chance” said Walton. “That is really all we’re asking for, a chance to win.”

The visitors got the first period 30-20, not allowing the hosts to take the lead at least once. A superb downtown shooting was the key for this one, as the hosts hit 6 threes in 11 attempts. Buddy Hield, Cory Joseph, Bogdan Bogdanovic, all of them scored from a distance. It was a barrage that couldn’t be stopped.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSl4FgEy5zU

But already in the second, the Lakers found a way to slow down the Kings, and they decreased the gap to only one point at the halftime break. LeBron and the crew were ahead throughout the entire third, with the visitors still relying upon their shooting from behind the arc, adding five hits. In the last 3:35, purple and gold couldn’t score, but Sacramento too wasn’t very efficient. When Nemanja Bjelica made a three-pointer 21 seconds inside the final period, the teams were 74-all.

However, Lakers made an 8-0 run, with LeBron delivering 5 points, and Caldwell-Pope three. The Kings didn’t want to get down without a fight, and they kept coming back at the purple and gold. With the result 95-90 for the hosts, Bogdanovic hit a hard shot from the corner, and added a layup plus one, to tie the game. LeBron brought the Lakers back ahead, before Hield launched a quick three, missing the entire basket with a bit less than a minute to go. AD missed the shot, and Bogdanovic again tied the game.

Everybody remembered the last year’s game when Bogdanovic scored a buzzer-beating game-winner, and the way the inbound action was set, it looked like Bogi would get the chance for the last shot. However, it was a nicely done deception, but unfortunately for the Kings, it didn’t work out.

“We were light on numbers, we had to put guys in who hadn’t play much at all, and everyone that checked in fought and competed, as a coach that’s when you really get proud to see that type of effort.”

Hield had 21 points, with 8 boards, and 6 made three-pointers, Bogdanovic was there in all the important moments. The Serb scored 18 buckets shooting 7 for 13, and had 5 assists, but was solid in defense too. Richaun Holmes added 17 and 8 boards, while Yogi Ferrell had 14 off the bench.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKFhq9hI32g

On the other side, LeBron dominated with 29 points, and 11 assists. King had one monster dunk over Bjelica in the first half.

“He was huge in the fourth quarter, carried us through the tough stretch, help us build the lead in that fourth,” Frank Vogel praised James.

Anthony Davis wasn’t that impressive, ending the night with 17 buckets and 5 boards, but saved the team with that last-second block.

“When my shot’s not falling I try to do the other things to help the team win,”AD said.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 16 buckets, and Kyle Kuzma 13 off the bench.

Lakers (10-2) play their next two games at home, against the Hawks on Sunday, and OKC Thunder next Tuesday.

The Kings (4-7) are also at home for the upcoming two contests. The first is on Sunday versus the Celtics who defeated the Warriors tonight, and after that await the Phoenix Suns.