ANAHEIM—The Los Angeles Lakers stormed back from a 19-point deficit to defeat the Sacramento Kings in Anaheim at the Honda Center, on Tuesday, October 4.
Head Coach Luke Walton went with a surprising line-up, bringing projected starter Jordan Clarkson off of the bench in favor of Six Man of the Year award winner, Lou Williams. Clarkson explained how the role change affected him after the game, “It doesn’t matter to me. As long as I’m on the court, playing minutes, I’m going to impact the game someway—if that’s defensively or offensively. I’m always going to be aggressive on both sides of the floor. That’s where I’m going to make my mark.” Clarkson’s maturity showed as he racked up 12 points and 6 rebounds in 20 minutes of play.
The Lakers were troubled by Sacramento’s big man DeMarcus Cousins who finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Los Angeles did not manage to take the lead until Cousins and other Kings starters checked out of the game. With the Kings bench unit on the court, the more polished Lakers youth took advantage, going on a 9-1 scoring run to finish the third quarter. Tarik Black was a force to be reckoned with, leading the Lakers to a 39-point fourth quarter and picking up 15 points and 5 rebounds himself on a perfect 5-5 shooting performance.
The Lakers ended the game winning comfortably, 84-103. D’Angelo Russell struggled with his shot, going just 2-8. Prized rookie Brandon Ingram continues to search for his NBA shot, missing all five of his field goal attempts. Los Angeles continues their pre-season Friday, October 7, as they take on the Denver Nuggets.
