Willie Cauley-Stein Balls Out In Win Against Lakers
By Rafe Wong
The Sacramento Kings won convincingly against the Los Angeles Lakers last night behind the great performance of Willie Cauley-Stein.
Sacramento Kings fans must have felt thankful yesterday as their team defeated the Los Angeles Lakers by a score of 113-102. Sacramento now improves to a record of 5-13 while Los Angeles drops to 8-11.
To start the game, the Kings played well straight out the gate as Zach Randolph sparked Sacramento’s offense with his play in the interior and beyond the arc. As a result, the Kings led 31-19 after the first quarter.
In the second period, the Kings’ offense remained hot. Not only were the starters playing solid, but the bench for Sacramento was playing even better. With good performances from Frank Mason III, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Buddy Hield, the reserves for Sacramento helped increase their team’s lead to 13 points going into halftime.
Although the Kings as a collective whole played well in the second half, Willie Cauley-Stein stood out above the rest as he was the anchor for Sacramento going the rest of the way. For the game, the seven-footer recorded 26 points, six rebounds, and two steals while shooting 10-14 from the floor.
Cauley-Stein was experiencing concerning struggles in the beginning of his campaign but has suddenly resurrected himself in recent games. With a noticeable increase in effort, more focus on defense and rebounding, and more use with the pick and roll offense, Cauley-Stein is looking more and more like the player Kings fans hoped he would be prior to the season opener. And yesterday’s contest definitely gives hope that Trill will be more consistent going forth.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Kings’ offense dominated the Lakers as almost everyone on Sacramento’s roster contributed in a positive manner. For the match, the Kings shot 55% from the floor and 47% from the three-point line while dishing out a total of 26 assists as a team.
Hopefully, for the Kings and their fans, their team can play in a similar manner as last night’s performance as their season goes on. The next time Sacramento will hit the hardwood will be Saturday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.