Los Angeles Lakers start road trip with win over the Sacramento Kings

The Los Angeles Lakers started a huge seven game road trip against the Sacramento Kings. This was a must win because a loss would knock the Lakers to the 6th spot in the Western Conference. Kyle Kuzma and the Lakers guards made sure that did not happen.

In normal times, a Los Angeles Lakers win over the Sacramento Kings would not be a big deal to anyone that follows the NBA. However these are nowhere near normal times for the Lakers. No LeBron James, no Anthony Davis and Andre Drummond going down after 14 minutes means every win is cherished.

Especially this one against Sacramento to start a long road trip. If the Lakers had lost this contest, they could have dropped to the 6th seed the Western Conference playoff race. But that is a discussion for another day because the Lakers rolled over the Kings 115-94 to start their seven game road journey. They play the Los Angeles Clippers next in the Staples Center (Technically a road game!) on Sunday in yet another must win game for tiebreaking scenarios.

The good from the Los Angeles Lakers’ win:

The Los Angeles Lakers came out on fire!

While the Sacramento Kings played like the Lakers were missing superstars, the Lake Show played like stars as a collective unit. Before both teams broke a sweat, the Lakers roared out to a 24-11 lead. They forced four early turnovers, put DeAaron Fox in a broom closet and quickly turned every Sacramento mistake into points.

Then in the second quarter, the Lakers exploded on a 21-7 run to run out to a 50-34 lead.

Then a 5-0 run in less than a minute to end the third quarter put things away!

Markieff Morris is starting the habit up giving out buckets early!

In the Lakers loss to the Bucks, Keef knocked down three shots from downtown. In that game sadly he didn’t get a chance to ride his hot hand. Morris packed his hot hand for the seven game road trip it seems. He had 9 points in the first quarter alone. He finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds.

Notice the guy that passed the alley-oop to him? No time like the present to talk about much maligned Marc Gasol.

(In Lake Show Life’s best ESPN 30 for 30 voice!) What if I told you that Marc Gasol could go on a tear after Andre Drummond’s signing!

The plan was that Marc Gasol would not play in the Milwaukee game. Then after Drummond’s injury, Gasol played 6 minutes in the final quarter. He played well with 2 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks with an assist and a steal. But then he came into the Sacramento Kings game wanting to remind fans that he can actually play.

Gasol scored 5 points, grabbed 3 rebounds (2 offensive!) with 3 assists and a steal. IN THE FIRST QUARTER! Even though Andre Drummond is out for a while, if bringing him in will motivate Marc Gasol into playing inspired ball like this, it will be the best $700,000+ Rob Pelinka has spent all season that didn’t go to the superstars.

He didn’t score any more points, but he filled the stat sheet with his playmaking. There’s more evidence of his handy work later.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored as many 3 pointers in the first half as total shots in the previous game.

It’s games like these when the Lake Show Life staff wonders if the players actually read the post game reports and the Lake Show Life Lessons series.

• Los Angeles Lakers lose Andre Drummond to injury in loss to Bucks
• Los Angeles Lakers: 4 lessons from losing Andre Drummond vs. Bucks

Because if Kentavious Caldwell-Pope read either one of these articles he sure took the criticism personally. After scoring 2 points with an 0-4 performance, KCP came out aggressive and with the confidence Lakers fans were looking for.

You just witnessed two of the four 3 pointers that KCP knocked down before the half for 12 points. This is the shooting the Lakers desperately need from this guy. Not just the fact that Caldwell-Pope is hitting his shots, but the fact that he just takes them. Even though he cooled off, KCP was still engaged hitting the boards and played great defense.

The bad from the Los Angeles Lakers’ win:

Wesley Matthews suffered a neck injury a few minutes into the game.

Wesley Matthews was nearly a scratch for this game due to a neck contusion suffered in the previous Milwaukee game. After trying to attempt a layup in the first quarter, he got his legs tangled and fell towards the basket extension and banged his head hard. He stayed on the floor for several minutes before going to the locker room. Best wishes to Wes because it looked scary.

For the Los Angeles Lakers, the injuries just keep piling up folks. This is almost numbing at this point.

Harrison Barnes had the best stretch of his career in the first half!

This is not an exaggeration folks. Harrison Barnes shot 8-9 for 22 points in the first half. He looked like the as the announcer of the Six Million Dollar Man television show, Bigger…Stronger…Faster! If you disagree, you did not watch this game.

After halftime, the Lakers defense took him apart and unplugged him!

The story from the Los Angeles Lakers’ win:

Kyle Kuzma exploded…

The Los Angeles Lakers need this Kuz to be on the plane for the rest of the month. Whether it’s the fact that he circles the Kings on the calendar because he always gets numbers or what, but he continued his domination of this franchise. Kuzma scored 30 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and dished out 3 assists. He finished with an absurd plus/minus of +29.

The Los Angeles Lakers was shooting that “Thang” from the 3 point line.

Lakers Nation, if your team shoots the ball from downtown nearly this good, they will be able tread water until they get the “Big Three” (Literally and figuratively!) back in the lineup. They shot 17-33 from behind the arc.

The guards scored some baskets!

The Lakers guards destroyed the Sacramento guards in spectacular fashion.

• KCP: 13 points and 10 rebounds. Fun fact here. Since the 2019-20 season, when KCP scores more than 12 points, the Lakers are 25-6. Get the man some shots…PLEASE! 
• Talen Horton-Tucker: 15 points (6-12 shooting!), 4 steals and 2 rebounds.
• Dennis Schroder: 17 points (7-13 shooting!), 8 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 steals.
• Alex Caruso: 8 points (3-4 shooting!), 3 assists and 2 rebounds. Oh and watch your head and don’t get hurt if you are Moe Harkless!

https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1378196292426342400

Enjoy the win Lakers fans!