Kings at Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers, who officially will miss the playoffs for a franchise-record sixth straight season, start their final 10-game stretch with a home contest against the rival Sacramento Kings on Sunday. The Lakers were in the hunt for a playoff spot before losing 16 of their last 20 contests and will try to snap a five-game slide versus the Kings, who still have slim hopes for the postseason.
“It’s been a tough season for all of us,” Los Angeles superstar LeBron James told reporters after Friday’s 111-106 loss to Brooklyn. “It’s not what we signed up for. Throughout the year, things happen. Suspensions, injuries and us not being able to play sustainable basketball for 48 minutes. You don’t even try to wrap your head around it. You keep pushing. You see how you can get better tonight and move on to tomorrow and go from there.” James, who came up one rebound shy of a triple-double on Friday, scored 25 points in his only game against the Kings this season while the Lakers have won two of the three matchups. Sacramento has captured three of four to get back to .500 at 36-36 and pull within 5 ½ games of eighth-place San Antonio in the Western Conference with just 10 contests remaining. The Kings, who received 25 points apiece from Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes in Saturday's 112-103 win over Phoenix, start a five-game road trip that begins with three teams eliminated from playoff contention and ends in San Antonio.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Sacramento), Spectrum Sportsnet (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE KINGS (36-36): Hield, who leads the team in scoring (20.9 points), was 9-for-20 from the field and 7-for-14 from 3-point range in Saturday’s win as Sacramento outscored the Suns 65-50 in the second half. Rookie Marvin Bagley III recorded 16 points in the win over Phoenix and he continued an outstanding month during which he is averaging 19.3 points on 57.9 percent shooting and 8.2 rebounds. Nemanja Bjelica registered 13 points and a career-high 17 rebounds on Saturday while De’Aaron Fox recorded nine assists for the third straight game and is averaging 18 points over his last four contests.
ABOUT THE LAKERS (31-41): James, who averages a team-high 27.4 points, has sat out two of the last four games with the season winding down and could be rested again, but Kyle Kuzma (18.5 points) should be in the lineup. JaVale McGee recorded career highs of 33 points and 20 rebounds in Friday’s loss to improve his averages to 17.8 and 12.8, respectively, over the last four contests. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 35 points at Milwaukee on Tuesday to cap a stretch during which he averaged 19.2 over five games, but he was 1-for-6 from the field on Friday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Hield broke the franchise record for made 3-pointers (245) in a season on Saturday, moving past Peja Stojakovic (240 in 2003-04).
2. Los Angeles G Alex Caruso is averaging 11.6 points over his last five games after scoring in double figures once in his previous 10 contests with the team.
3. Kings F Harry Giles III (seven points) missed Saturday’s game with a thigh contusion and is questionable for the matchup with the Lakers.