LDN - Sports

Lakers come from behind against Kings

[November 11, 2016] SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The way the Los Angeles Lakers start games is beginning to drive first-year coach Luke Walton crazy. The way they have finished is keeping him smiling.

The Lakers, coming off the worst three seasons in franchise history and not expected to make a huge leap this season, added another feather to their surprisingly impressive start Thursday night, wiping out a 19-point lead in a 101-91 victory over the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center.

Nick Young, D'Angelo Russell and Lou Williams all put a second-half hurting on the home team, combining for 34 points on 12-of-20 shooting from the field, and the Lakers (5-4) won for the fourth time in five games, a hot streak they haven't experienced since November 2013.

"They competed," Walton said of the Lakers' second-half turnaround, which actually started in the final 3:46 of the first half when they outscored Sacramento 13-4 to reduce a 51-32 deficit to 55-45.

"In the first half, we let (the Kings) move the ball from side to side, and when you let guys get open shots in this league, they're going to knock them down. In the second half, we were more aggressive, and that's when we're at our best."

Lately, the Lakers shown their better halves far more often after intermission. Los Angeles, which didn't win its fifth game until its 28th game on Dec. 22 last season, has rallied from halftime deficits in three of its victories.

Against Sacramento, Los Angeles trailed 21-11 seven minutes into the game and 30-16 after one quarter.

"We weren't ready to play, honestly," Walton said. "We have a bad habit, going back to the preseason, of starting really slow at the beginning of games, and it's just not acceptable. Our guys have shown more than once that when they play with intensity and aggressiveness that they can play with anyone."

W illiams finished with a game-high 21 points and made a floating runner from inside the key to give the Lakers a 74-73 lead two possessions into the fourth quarter. Russell added 17 points and Young had 16, including a 3-pointer that capped a 10-0 run with under six minutes left that put Los Angeles ahead to stay.

"They were coming downhill," Kings forward Matt Barnes said. "We were missing their pick-and-rolls, and that gave them open shots, and then Nick got going and D'Angelo got going."

Center DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings (4-6) with 28 points and nine rebounds, but the Lakers held him scoreless for a 21-minute stretch in the second and third quarters as they turned around the game.

Lakers center Timofey Mosgov and forward Julius Randle double-teamed Cousins nearly every time he touched the ball in the third quarter, and he managed only four shots, missing all of them.

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Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (1) drives to the basket against Sacramento Kings center Kosta Koufos (41) during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

"It's pretty sad when opposing teams let it be known what their game plan is, which is to be physical, hit me and whatever the case may be," Cousins said. "I've got to learn how to play through it, keep my frustrations in order. That's it, play through it."

Randle added 15 points for the Lakers and got into a bit of a barking match with Cousins, a fellow University of Kentucky product, after the final horn that Cousins called "just some friendly UK love."

Mozgov added 10 points.

"Julius brought it tonight," Young said. "Moz, it was a tough (assignment) for him (on defense). I've got to applaud him."

Cousins' 3-pointer ended his cold stretch and tied the score 80-80 with 6:32 left. But he was just 3 of 11 from the field in the second half, and the Kings made just 12 of 41.

Rudy Gay had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Kings.

NOTES: Sacramento plays in Portland on Saturday in the second of their fourth set of back-to-back games already this season. The Kings split the first three back-to-backs en route to playing 11 games in the season's first 17 days. After facing the Blazers, the Kings take four days off before opening a five-game homestand Wednesday against San Antonio. It will be their longest break of the season, excluding the seven days they get for the All-Star Game. ... Lakers F Larry Nance Jr. returned to the floor after being cleared by the NBA's concussion protocol team. He missed the Lakers' 109-97 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday after taking an elbow in the head. ... C DeMarcus Cousins moved past Mitch Richmond as the Kings' career leader in free-throw attempts (3,098) in Sacramento's win over New Orleans but entered Thursday needing to make 357 more to move past Richmond as its all-time free-throw maker. ... Nine Lakers players are averaging at least 20 minutes a game this season, and they all played at least 22 minutes against Sacramento.

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