Still without the suspended Dennis Schröder, the Sacramento Kings made the third meeting count, toppling the LA Lakers for the first time this season.
Malik Monk and Russell Westbrook haunted their former team, the LA Lakers, after combining for 48 points to tow the Sacramento Kings to a 124-112 triumph and back-to-back wins on Tuesday, January 13 (PH time).
The duo, who spent the 2021-22 season in Los Angeles, sparked Sacramento’s shooting barrage, hitting 11 of the Kings’ 17 three-pointers.
DeMar DeRozan added a team-high 32 points as Sacramento secured their second straight victory despite the absence of suspended guard Dennis Schröder.
Schröder was handed a three-game suspension without pay by the league for “attempting to strike a player after a game,” an incident reportedly involving Lakers star Luka Doncic during Sacramento’s 125-101 loss to LA on December 29.
[RELATED: Kings' Dennis Schroder suspended 3 games after incident vs Lakers]
Late in the fourth, Doncic’s three-pointer made it 112-104, but the Kings responded with a decisive 10-0 run, capped by a DeRozan triple, putting the game out of reach at 122-104 with 1:38 remaining.
Sacramento now eyes a third consecutive win when they face the New York Knicks (25-14).
Doncic poured a game-high 42 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, while LeBron James contributed 22.
After a three-game winning streak, LA absorbed a third straight loss and slipped to 23-14 as a home game with the Atlanta Hawks (20-21) looms.
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.