The Kings host the Lakers at Golden 1 Center on Monday, January 12 at 7:00 p.m.
The Lakers come in at 23-13 (5th in the West), while the Kings sit at 9-30 (14th).
Last time out, the Lakers dropped a 105-101 game to the Bucks, and the Kings just snapped a skid by beating the Rockets 111-98.
This is already Game 3 of the season series, and the Lakers have controlled it so far, up 2-0 (127-120 and 125-101).
On the star side, Luka Doncic is putting up 33.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 8.8 assists (45.8% from the field, 32.3% from three), and LeBron James is at 21.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 6.9 assists.
For the Kings, Zach LaVine leads at 20.0 points per game, and DeMar DeRozan is at 18.6 points with 3.8 assists.
Injury Report
Kings
Dennis Schroder: Out (league suspension)
Keegan Murray: Out (left ankle sprain)
Domantas Sabonis: Out (left knee partial meniscus tear)
Isaiah Stevens: Questionable (hamstring)
Lakers
Austin Reaves: Out (left calf strain)
Adou Thiero: Out (right MCL sprain)
Why The Kings Have The Advantage
First thing, it’s at home, and the Kings have looked way more competent when they can control tempo early. They’re 6-13 at home, and they just used a huge fourth quarter to put away the Rockets.
If they’re going to hang around, it starts with guard play and pressure. They average 8.9 steals per game, and they’ll try to turn this into a sloppy, transition-heavy night where the Lakers don’t get set.
The other real angle is the Lakers’ three-point shooting. They’re at 34.2% from deep as a team, so if the Kings can shrink the floor and force a bunch of jumpers, the game stays ugly.
Why The Lakers Have The Advantage
This matchup screams Lakers, because the Kings’ defense has been a freeway. They’re giving up 121.4 points per game, and that’s exactly how you get buried by a team that can score 115.9 nightly.
The efficiency edge is loud too. The Lakers are at 50% from the field compared to 46% for the Kings, and they’ve got the better shot quality profile when Luka is carving teams up in the half-court.
And then there’s the season series. Two wins already, including a 24-point blowout, means the Lakers have already found the pressure points, and the Kings being without Sabonis makes it even harder to survive inside.
X-Factors
Deandre Ayton is the swing piece for the Lakers. He’s at 14.4 points and 8.5 rebounds this season, and with Sabonis out, this is the kind of game where he can own the paint if he plays with force.
Austin Reaves being out matters because it removes an extra handler and bail-out scorer, so the Lakers’ “non-Luka” minutes can get weird fast. If that happens, LeBron’s table-setting becomes the stabilizer, because he’s still at 6.9 assists per game even with the managed workload.
For the Kings, Russell Westbrook has to be a chaos engine. He’s averaging 14.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 6.8 assists, and if he’s pushing pace and living in the lane, he can create the kind of messy game the Kings actually need.
Maxime Raynaud is the other one. He’s putting up 14.4 points and 8.2 rebounds, and if he can rebound, contest without fouling, and knock the Lakers off their rhythm, the Kings at least give themselves a chance to hang around into the fourth.
Prediction
I’m taking the Lakers. The Kings’ defense just gives up too much, and Luka has been a nightly problem at 33.3 a game with 8.8 assists, which is basically built to punish a team that’s already bleeding points.
Prediction: Lakers 120, Kings 109
