Kings 118, Lakers 115
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Guard Rajon Rondo scored on a running floater inside the key, then forced a turnover on the next defensive possession to save the Sacramento Kings from an embarrassing loss and provide a 118-115 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday at Sleep Train Arena.
Rondo stripped Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson from behind moments after putting the Kings ahead 116-115 on his go-ahead layup with 21 seconds left.
After Kings center DeMarcus Cousins knocked down two free throws, Lakers guard Louis Williams missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer, preventing Los Angeles forward Kobe Bryant from walking away victorious in his final visit to the state capital.
Bryant scored 28 points in his 34th and final regular-season appearance in Sacramento.
Cousins finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as the Kings (15-21) beat the Lakers (8-29) for the fifth consecutive time. His effort led six players in double figures for Sacramento.
That the Lakers even were in the game late in the contest was remarkable. The Kings led 90-63 after Rondo converted a layup with 6:13 to go in the third quarter and appeared set to coast to their third win in four games since the calendar flipped to 2016.
However, the Lakers outscored Sacramento 39-16 over the next 12 minutes and cut the lead to 106-102 by the midway point of the final quarter.
Los Angeles guard D'Angelo Russell returned from a one-game absence caused by a sore throat to score 27 points. Guard Jordan Clarkson added 15 points, and his wing shot put the Lakers ahead for the first time 109-108 with 3:48 left.
After forward Rudy Gay knocked down a jumper for Sacramento, Russell followed with a short jumper for a 111-110 Lakers lead. Gay and Lakers forward Brandon Bass then exchanged buckets to make it 113-112. A Rondo free throw tied it 113-113, and Clarkson's jumper made it 115-113 to set the stage for the wild finish.
Forward Quincy Acy scored a season-high 18 points over 22 minutes in his third consecutive start for the Kings, who had six players in double figures. Gay had 18, guard Ben McLemore added 16 points, and Rondo, the NBA's assist leader, had 12 assists to go with nine points.
Bryant, who three times led Los Angeles to playoff series victories over Sacramento, knocked down 10 of 18 shots from the field and was 2-for-6 from 3-point range. He entered the game last in the league in shooting from the field (34.1 percent) and last in 3-point shooting (25.9 percent).
NOTES: Lakers G Kobe Bryant is the overall leader in All-Star voting in results announced by the NBA on Thursday. Bryant has appeared in 14 All-Star Games, starting all but one of them. ... ... Sacramento F Omri Casspi (upper back soreness) missed his third consecutive contest. Casspi played 32 of Sacramento's first 33 contests and is a 47.7 percent shooter from 3-point range, trailing only San Antonio Spurs G Kawhi Leonard (50.0 percent) and Los Angeles Clippers G J.J. Redick (48.8 percent). ... The Kings also played without F Willie Cauley-Stein (cut right middle finger) for the second game in a row. Cauley-Stein played only two games and 20 minutes before the injury after returning from a 12-game absence caused by a dislocated right index finger. ... The Los Angeles Times reported that the Lakers guaranteed the contracts of F Metta World Peace, C Tarik Black and G Marcelo Huertas until the end of the season.