Lakers blow multiple leads, fall to short-handed Kings in 3 OTs

LOS ANGELES — A blowout? No, these Lakers would alternatively person a nail-biter immoderate night.

One overtime? Why not two? Why not three?

A slog of a crippled turned into a suspenseful one, past graduated into the absurd connected Friday nighttime arsenic the Lakers couldn’t decorativeness disconnected the short-handed Sacramento Kings successful regulation, oregon a archetypal oregon 2nd overtime period. Finally, successful the 3rd 5-minute bonus session, it spot them, and De’Aaron Fox (34 points) and the struggling Kings – a squad the Lakers should person crushed connected insubstantial – were capable to snatch a 141-137 triumph distant from the Lakers astatine Staples Center.

The Lakers’ closing lineup each played astatine slightest 42 minutes, and portion LeBron James (30 points), Anthony Davis (23 points) and Russell Westbrook (29 points) each had their moments, the strain connected their legs caught up with them and they missed their biggest shots successful the other periods.

Twisting the dagger was Buddy Hield, who scored 25 points, assisted connected the tying handbasket astatine the extremity of regularisation and tied the people astatine the extremity of the archetypal overtime. At the bitter extremity of a crippled that saw 19 ties and 23 pb changes, Hield (who scored 13 of his points successful overtime) sealed the triumph for the Kings with a brace of escaped throws to enactment them up by 5 with 15.9 seconds left. It gave the Lakers, who precise astir traded for Hield earlier backing retired astatine the 11th hr to pivot to a woody for Westbrook, plentifulness of nutrient for thought.

After blowing a 13-point fourth-quarter lead, the Lakers seemed to person things handled initially successful the archetypal overtime by getting to the line. When Davis sunk a escaped propulsion with 2:09 near successful OT, the Lakers led 110-103. But the Kings closed the spread erstwhile Fox deed a abbreviated jumper, tying it with 28 seconds left. Westbrook ran a pick-and-roll to get Davis an off-the-glass handbasket with 9 seconds remaining, but Hield deed a jumper implicit James to nonstop the crippled to a 2nd overtime.

The Lakers had to claw backmost to adjacent get successful presumption to vie astatine the extremity of regulation. They inactive had a six-point pb with 5:28 near successful the fourth, but proceeded to miss 5 consecutive shots arsenic the Kings flipped the vantage with an 11-0 run.

It was Westbrook who broke done with a cutting dunk, followed by a tying 3-pointer by Malik Monk (20 points), who was blistery each nighttime (8 for 11).

They were positioned to get the triumph successful regularisation erstwhile James deed a reverse layup, past Tyrese Haliburton missed a agelong stepback 3-point attempt. Westbrook got his mitts connected the rebound, but it slipped done his grasp and bounced retired of bounds disconnected of his knee. On the consequent reset, Fox managed to necktie it astatine 100 connected a driving layup. James fto clip tick down connected the past changeable attempt, but his pull-up from 28 feet was off-target, sending the Lakers to their 2nd overtime successful arsenic galore games.

Familiar issues cropped up, particularly connected the glass. The Kings snatched 16 violative rebounds, starring to 23 second-chance points. The Lakers besides had 19 turnovers that Sacramento turned into 22 points, issues of effort and absorption arsenic overmuch arsenic immoderate different factors.

The Lakers person won lone 2 games by treble figures, against Cleveland and Houston astatine location successful succession, weeks ago. The crippled against the Kings seemed similar a premier accidental to cruise.

Just 7-12 entering the crippled with interim manager Alvin Gentry astatine the helm, the Kings spotted the Lakers adjacent much advantages: Two starters, Harrison Barnes and Richaun Holmes, weren’t capable to play, and starter Maurice Harkless lone played 8 minutes earlier having to beryllium retired the remainder with genu soreness. Gentry joked of his starting lineup that Sacramento legends Peja Stojakovic and Chris Webber “aren’t walking done that door.”

Still, Friday night’s crippled had a acquainted code arsenic the Lakers labored against adjacent their overmatched competition. The archetypal 4th was a slog, with each squad churning retired conscionable 20 points. By halftime, the teams were tied astatine 43.

Signs of vexation were contiguous passim that archetypal half. After Davis missed a escaped throw, helium muttered to himself. Westbrook started 1 for 6, casting his caput down aft missing an unfastened layup successful the 2nd quarter.

The 3rd 4th felt similar a turning constituent arsenic Westbook flipped a switch. He deed his adjacent 5 shots, scoring 13 points successful that period, including a brace of wide-open 3-pointers that the Kings didn’t situation him on. When helium scored a layup connected Hield, helium “rocked the baby” successful celebration, yet having recovered a groove.

After a nighttime of ping-pong with the lead, Westbrook’s complaint felt similar a existent yet surging done the evening, and the Lakers started the 4th fourth with akin urgency arsenic Monk, Wayne Ellington and Carmelo Anthony each deed jumpers during an 8-0 start.

But the tide swung back, and erstwhile Alex Len knocked down a 3-pointer with conscionable nether 4 minutes left, the Lakers’ 13-point pb had been wholly eclipsed.

The Lakers, who are 10-11 aft dropping 5 of their past seven, adjacent play the Detroit Pistons connected Sunday evening.

More to travel connected this story.