Kings vs. Lakers gameday: 3 things to watch, LeBron’s longevity, addition of DeMar DeRozan

The Kings will go to Southern California in search of their first victory when they visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

The Kings (0-1) suffered a 117-115 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in their season opener Thursday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Keegan Murray’s double-clutch 3-pointer rimmed out as time expired, allowing Minnesota to escape with the win.

The Lakers (2-0) opened their season with a 110-103 victory over the Timberwolves on Tuesday. They will be facing the Kings on the second night of a back-to-back after beating the Phoenix Suns 123-116 on Friday.

Asked if he would sit out on the second night of a back-to-back, Lakers star LeBron James told reporters he will play Saturday, adding “I plan on playing every game.”

Here are three things to look for in Saturday’s game.

Addition of DeRozan

DeMar DeRozan had 26 points, eight rebounds, two assists and one steal in his Kings debut against the Timberwolves. He went 7 of 18 from the field and 0 of 2 from 3-point range, but he made 12 of 14 from the free-throw line.

The Kings got to the line 35 times against Minnesota. That could be a key to success for this team with the addition of DeRozan, who shot 85.3% from the stripe with the Chicago Bulls last season while tying Jimmy Butler for fourth in the NBA with 7.7 free-throw attempts per game.

LeBron’s longevity

James is beginning his 22^nd season since coming out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School as the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA draft. In Tuesday’s game against the Timberwolves, James and his son, Bronny, became the first father-son duo to appear in a game in NBA history.

James has appeared in 287 playoff games, the equivalent of 3 ½ seasons NBA seasons. He has won four NBA championships, four NBA Finals MVP awards and four NBA MVP awards with 20 All-Star Game selections while becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with 40,511 points.

Lakers injuries

The Lakers won’t submit an injury report until Saturday afternoon because they played Friday night, but they will have a number of players out.

Jalen Hood-Schifino missed Friday’s game due to illness. Christian Koloko (return to competition reconditioning), Jarred Vanderbilt (right foot surgery recovery) and Christian Wood (right knee surgery recovery) are out as well.

Kings at Lakers

When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Crypto.com Arena

TV: NBA TV

Radio: Sactown Sports 1140

Odds: Lakers -3.5

Over/under: 234.5

Injury report

Kings: OUT — Devin Carter (shoulder), Kevin Orlando Robinson (knee).

Lakers: Not yet submitted.

Sacramento Kings schedule

Oct. 26 at Los Angeles Lakers

Oct. 28 vs. Portland Trail Blazers

Oct. 29 at Utah Jazz

Nov. 1 at Atlanta Hawks

Nov. 2 at Toronto Raptors

This story was originally published October 26, 2024, 5:00 AM.