Lakers 127, Kings 103: Preseason starts with a thud

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Sacramento Kings 127-103 in the preseason opener for both teams on Monday night at Golden 1 Center. Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 21 points in roughly 16 minutes of action. Sacramento was led by Nique Clifford, who scored a team-high 23 points off the bench, while rookie Darius Acuff Jr. added 19 points.

The game tilted decisively in the second quarter when Los Angeles mounted a 26-2 scoring run against Sacramento. Domantas Sabonis made his return for the Kings, playing 10 minutes in his first game action since late January. Sacramento struggled from beyond the arc, converting just 4 of 23 three-point attempts, while the Lakers connected on 20 of 44 attempts.