De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings Defeat Los Angeles Lakers In Dramatic Fashion

De’Aaron Fox and the Sacramento Kings were able to earn a nail-biting victory against their division foe, the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Sacramento Kings defeated the Los Angeles Lakers tonight by a score of 84-83. Listed down below is the summary of the game as well as some key notes to take away from the Kings’ performance.

Game Summary

The first half was an eyesore for people who like watching offense. Specifically for the Kings, they shot 39% from the floor, 25% from the three-point line, and an abysmal 44% from the free-throw stripe. Other than Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic, who combined for 26 points in the half, no one on Sacramento could get their offensive flow going. At least the Kings were able to prevent the Lakers from doing much either as Los Angeles shot 39% from the floor and 13% from the perimeter.

Both teams continued to play subpar basketball in the second half. A third quarter which consisted of a bevy of missed shots eventually led to the Lakers taking a 64-60 lead going into the fourth. But once the final period was in session, the game became exciting. The score remained close going into the final minutes of the game, and when that time came, it was De’Aaron Fox time.

With the game tied at 80 with a minute remaining, the Kings were able to force a turnover that led to a Buddy Hield dunk. One defensive stop later, and the Kings got the ball again with under 30 seconds remaining. With the clock ticking down, Fox then drove to the basket to make a floating shot which inevitably sealed the win for Sacramento.

Thoughts on the Game

Overall, an ugly night for both teams as either team could not get their offense going. But in the end, the Kings were able to make more crucial shots which gave them the victory.

Even though this win puts the Kings in a worse position in the draft lottery, who cares? The team is experiencing how to win now which I believe will benefit them more going forward. And besides, can any Kings supporter get mad that their team won tonight? I mean, it is the Lakers.

To conclude this piece, scroll down below to check out what the main takeaways were from tonight’s contest.

Key Notes

• Buddy Hield was an offensive force for the Kings as he scored 19 points while shooting 53% (8-15) from the floor. Hield continues to be an asset for Sacramento as he concludes the month of March on a high note. Prior to tonight, Hield averaged 16 points, four rebounds, and three assists for the month.
• Nigel Hayes made his first appearance as a King tonight. In the 22 minutes he played, he was able to score three points and grab three rebounds.
• Bogdan Bogdanovic had a good night as he scored 15 points while shooting 86% (6-7) from the court. It seemed like the Serbian star hit the rookie wall as he has struggled for the last couple of weeks. But now having two back-to-back games where he has been efficient could lead to him finishing his rookie campaign strong.
• Tonight may have been Justin Jackson’s worst performance for the season. He ended the game with two points, zero rebounds, and zero assists. Right now, Jackson is solely relying on his scoring ability to be effective. Going forth he needs to learn how to be an asset in other aspects of the game outside of making shots.
• JaKarr Sampson finished the game with six points and five rebounds. The numbers are not great, but they do not show the entirety of how effective he was tonight. To be more specific, he did a solid job in defending Julius Randle, the Lakers’ top scorer. Randle was having his way with Skal Labissiere, but once Sampson came in to defend him, he was limited which played a big part in the Kings allowing just 83 points for the night.
• De’Aaron Fox continues to shine in the bright lights. Overall, he had a mediocre game. But when his team needed a bucket, he delivered as he made THE shot to seal the win for his team. For the game, he finished with 14 points and six assists.