LA Lakers 120-123 Sacramento Kings: Twitter reacts as the Purple and Gold suffer 7th loss in last 10 games
The LA Lakers played without LeBron James and Anthony Davis but nearly pulled off an upset against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. However, the Kings won 123-120, with Buddy Hield starring for them.
LeBron James sat out the contest, but the LA Lakers were able to keep the game within reach. Marc Gasol and Alex Caruso were also missing from the match, while the Sacramento Kings didn't have Hassan Whiteside, Jabari Parker and Tyrese Haliburton.
The LA Lakers led early but the Sacramento Kings caught up
The LA Lakers led by as many as 14 points in the first half, courtesy of Dennis Schroder and Kyle Kuzma. However, the Sacramento Kings found a way to get back in the game. The Kings led at the half after Buddy Hield heated up.
An official had a controversial technical foul call on Montrezl Harrell in the second quarter. Harrell was handed a technical foul even though he only shouted, "And-one!"
Twitter users were just as confused as he was.
The LA Lakers and the Sacramento Kings were neck-and-neck in the second half
Montrezl Harrell heated up in the third quarter and had a beautiful spin move for this monstrous dunk.
The fourth quarter was so close, with the LA Lakers battling from behind most of the time. The Sacramento Kings tried to put the game away several times but the Purple and Gold kept fighting back.
De'Aaron Fox, who had 23 points and eight assists on the night, fouled out in the final minute. Meanwhile, Schroder made crucial baskets down the stretch, including a few clutch free throws.
Harrison Barnes scored a basket as he drove down the lane for a layup to make it 121-120 for the Sacramento Kings with less than 25 seconds to play.
The LA Lakers failed to score a basket despite getting offensive rebounds on missed shots from Schroder and Harrell. The Sacramento Kings couldn't secure the rebound, but they eventually got the ball in the last three seconds.
Barnes finished off the defending champs by making two free throws with 1.3 seconds to go.
Regardless of the loss, a few LA Lakers fans felt good about their players keeping the game within reach. Meanwhile, others blamed the officials for the loss.
Dennis Schroder had 28 points and nine assists for the LA Lakers, while Kyle Kuzma had 25 points and 13 rebounds. The reserves were led by Montrezl Harrell, who had 26 points and 13 rebounds.
Aside from De'Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield had 29 points, six rebounds and six assists while Harrison Barnes added 20 points for the Sacramento Kings.
The Kings will play their last game before the All-Star break on Thursday while the LA Lakers have officially started their break after this game.
Also Read: When is the NBA All-Star Dunk Contest 2021?