Kings Look for Answers on the Perimeter in Preseason Rematch at Lakers

Sacramento needs a better plan against Los Angeles' shooting after a 127-103 preseason loss.

SAC @ LAL Oct 9, 2026 at 2:30 AM UTC

The Kings visit the Lakers on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2) in a preseason rematch. The last meeting was the Lakers' first preseason game, and they won 127-103. Rotations and effort levels are unpredictable this time of year, but that game exposed problems that one more night is unlikely to fix.

The biggest problem for Sacramento is perimeter defense. The Lakers made 20 threes, and many were wide open because the Kings crowded the paint. That repeats a weakness from last season. If Sacramento doesn't adjust, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves will again get clean looks and room to create. Los Angeles also forced 27 turnovers. JJ Redick has said the roster was built around players who complement Doncic and Reaves, and the Lakers' disruptive defense helped turn those giveaways into easy offense.

The Kings do have positives to build on. Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. debuted alongside Zach LaVine and played about as well as anyone could have hoped. That leaves a real question about how Sacramento arranges its guards, and a second look at the pairing will be worth watching. Nique Clifford was the other bright spot, with 23 points, nine rebounds and 8-of-13 shooting in 28 minutes off the bench. He was the only King with a positive plus/minus.

Those individual performances matter, but they don't solve the team-level issues. Sacramento has to close out on shooters and avoid the turnovers that fed the Lakers' transition game. Los Angeles has the more settled structure, and the Kings still have to prove they can defend the arc. I expect a closer game than the first one, but the Lakers should still control it.

Prediction: Lakers 119, Kings 107.

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