November 3, 2026 at 6:58 AM UTC
Pregame AnalysisDoncic and Lakers Should Overpower Shorthanded Kings
A red-hot Luka Doncic and a thin Sacramento roster point toward a Lakers road win.
- LAL @ SAC Nov 5, 2026 at 3:00 AM UTC
The 5-2 Lakers visit a 1-6 Kings team that only just stopped being the last winless club in the league, beating Dallas for its first victory. That result may give Sacramento some belief, but the roster picture is rough. Keegan Murray and Dylan Cardwell are out, and Ben Simmons is done for the season. The Lakers are missing only Adou Thiero.
The biggest problem for Sacramento is Luka Doncic. He just piled up 45 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals in 35 minutes against Toronto, including four steals and four threes in a first quarter the article calls an NBA record. It was his third 40-point game in four, and he leads the league at 37.7 points per game. He is also not on the injury report, despite missing one game earlier with back tightness. A depleted Kings group will have trouble slowing him without help from its missing forwards.
The Lakers also showed they can recover. They followed a Warriors loss they reportedly threw away, one in which Steph Curry got the better of Doncic, with a 131-125 win over Toronto. Walker Kessler played through a left finger splint and went 6-for-6 for 16 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks, which gives Los Angeles a real interior edge against a shorthanded Sacramento frontcourt. Bronny James has logged just ten minutes all season and looks unlikely to matter here.
Sacramento may find some offense, since Toronto managed 125 against the Lakers. But the Lakers have the best player on the floor, more healthy bodies and a strong inside presence. I expect Doncic to set the pace early and Kessler to protect the rim late. Lakers 125, Kings 111.