LeBron James, short-handed Lakers struggle in loss to Kings

Lakers forward LeBron James shoots over Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis.

Staff Writer

Dec. 21, 2022 9:42 PM PT

SACRAMENTO — None of the Lakers could believe it when they either saw or heard that the Brooklyn Nets scored 91 points in the first half Wednesday night, the locker room filled with amazement and the offensive onslaught.

By the end of the night it seemed a little more believable, the Lakers watching as the Sacramento Kings scored a combined 81 points in the second and third quarters in an easy 134-120 win over the short-handed visitors.

Sacramento led by as many as 23, its fans chanting “Light the beam” in the fourth quarter while Lakers fans headed for the exits.

With no Anthony Davis, no Russell Westbrook and no Austin Reaves, the Lakers were going to need something special from someone.

The natural place to look, even in Season 20, is to LeBron James — still so big, so strong, so springy and so skilled despite being a little more than a week from his 38th birthday.

But before the game, Lakers coach Darvin Ham had another idea.

“These guys got to be ready to step up and make plays, you know? You can’t hide behind LeBron,” Ham said. “LeBron’s going to be LeBron, going to be there for us. Whenever he’s available, he’s going to be out there, trying to play winning basketball. He needs help. Just like they expect him to give them confidence, they need to focus on making plays to give him confidence, to give us all confidence as a team — and not just individuals.

“Everybody has to pull their weight.”

Everybody, plainly, either couldn’t or didn’t. And James? He couldn’t solve all the problems that developed during the Lakers’ 18th loss of the season.

Dennis Schroder was too small for Kings guard De’Aaron Fox and quickly found himself in foul trouble. Lonnie Walker IV never got into an offensive rhythm. Wenyen Gabriel, the Lakers’ energy off the bench, exited in a blink with foul trouble.

Thomas Bryant, the Lakers’ replacement for Davis in the starting lineup, missed a layup and didn’t get back on defense, the Kings swinging the ball for an open three. Kendrick Nunn, one of the bench players granted more of an opportunity because of the Lakers’ injuries, was almost entirely invisible on both sides of the ball.

Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis is defended by Lakers center Thomas Bryant.

With the Lakers’ chance at a comeback fading in the fourth, Patrick Beverley lost Kings shooter Kevin Huerter for a game-sealing three.

And James’ early effectiveness faded as the score grew wider and wider, the veteran spending the fourth quarter correcting defensive mistakes and trying to get teammates involved. He finished with 31 points and 11 assists.

“We’re already a team without a lot of length, not a lot of size and you lose a 6-11 guy with a 7-6 wingspan…” James said. “I mean it’s self-explanatory. It’s not like it’s rocket science.”

While the Lakers knew they weren’t going to have Davis, they learned midday that Westbrook would miss his second straight game because of left foot soreness. Ham said the point guard could be back Friday against Charlotte.

“We’re just taking it day by day, trying to be as cautious as possible,” Ham said. “We don’t want to put him in a position where, if he’s feeling something, then it leads to a bigger issue or a bigger problem. That’s the biggest thing for us, just to get out in front of it.”

Reaves also missed his second straight game with a sprained right ankle and said he was hopeful he’d be back soon, though there still was swelling in the joint.

Davis’ status, other than “out,” is still a mystery — at least as far as what the Lakers are saying publicly about his foot injury. Asked if Davis would be with the team on its upcoming five-game trip starting on Christmas, Ham wouldn’t commit, and the team declined to provide any updates.

“We’ll see,” Ham said. “He’s still going through the evaluation process. We’re still trying to see which course of action we should take, and you’ll know more in the coming days.”

With Davis, the Lakers were clawing back toward being competitive in the West. Without him, they’ve been blown out twice by playoff-bound teams in the Phoenix Suns and the Kings, giving up more than 130 points to each.

“I don’t think you have to change anything principal-wise,” Ham said. “I think you have to be better.”