Lakers come from behind against Kings
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[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.
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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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![](../images/111116pics/sports69.jpg)
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
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"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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