LOS ANGELES — Anyone expecting widespread alterations to the Lakers’ starting lineup on Sunday evening was likely surprised, maybe even a tad disappointed, but hardly let down by the ensuing result against the visiting Sacramento Kings.
Luka Doncic and LeBron James helped the Lakers manufacture a 15-point halftime lead at Crypto.com Arena and that seemed to pop the lid on the 125-101 victory, relieving a load of pressure that had built during a frustrating three-game losing streak.
Doncic scored 24 of his 34 points in the opening 24 minutes and James scored half of his 24 points in that span to help the Lakers (20-10) to their first halftime lead since a 123-120 win at the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 4.
“This is the first game we’ve had all year that we won all four quarters, so I think that just says a lot about the approach and the consistent mentality that we played with tonight,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “Just consistent basketball for 48 minutes.”
After losing starting forward Austin Reaves for four weeks because of a calf injury suffered during a 119-96 loss to the visiting Houston Rockets on Christmas Day, Redick signaled there could be noticeable changes to the starting lineup on the horizon.
He softened that stance during practice on Saturday and then made just one essential change to the starting lineup against the Kings, replacing Reaves with Marcus Smart.
Redick also said before Sunday’s game that Nick Smith Jr. would have a bigger role in the absence of Reaves, and the 27th overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2023 NBA Draft took advantage of the opportunity.
Smith finished with 21 points in 23 minutes off the bench.
“He’s helped us win two games prior to tonight,” Redick said of Smith. “He helped us win tonight.”
The Lakers scored the first five points of the second half on a 3-pointer by Doncic and a lob dunk by James to give them a 20-point lead and prompt a quick timeout from the Kings.
Doncic missed 3-point tries on back-to-back possessions and the Kings cut the lead to 18, prompting a timeout from Redick with 4:36 left in the third quarter.
“A couple of possessions towards the end of the third we tried to be the Harlem Globetrotters,” Redick said.
The Lakers responded after the timeout by scoring the next eight points on three straight possessions, all by Smith, who made his first seven shots overall.
“The scoring is going to help us a lot, and bringing the ball up,” Doncic said of Smith. “I think he had an amazing game. Without him, it would have been a closer game, so he helped us a lot today.”
Rui Hachimura scored 12 points after getting blanked against the Rockets. Deandre Ayton contributed 11 points and 11 rebounds for his third double-double in the past four games. Jake LaRavia also scored 11 points in a reserve role for the Lakers.
“We played together, we played for each other,” Redick said. “We had probably one of our most consistent games in terms of just 48 minutes of competitive spirit.”
Smart, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 for the Boston Celtics and a member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team two other seasons, stole the ball from Westbrook and then lobbed a pass to James that he dunked for an early 8-4 lead.
The Kings (8-24) scored the next five points to take their first lead at 9-8 and the lead changed hands five more times before Doncic sank the first of his five 3-pointers to give the Lakers an 18-15 lead with 4:49 left in the opening quarter.
They wouldn’t relinquish their advantage again.
Smith entered the game for Doncic with 2:31 left in the first quarter and hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key on his first shot to give the Lakers their biggest lead through that point of the game at 28-22 with 1:15 left.
James scored 10 points in the opening quarter, his final two on a pull-up jumper that gave the Lakers a 30-24 advantage entering the second.
James finished 11 for 13 from the floor.
“He’s been doing this for a long time,” Doncic said of James. “He knows what he’s doing. It definitely helps a lot, him moving. He was great today. Only two shots missed? That’s insane.”
The Lakers began to inch away in the second, taking their first double-digit cushion at 51-41 on a three-point play by Doncic with 5:59 left in the half.
The Lakers ultimately shot 14-for-20 from the floor in the second quarter, including 4-for-8 from 3-point distance, allowing them to expand their lead to 68-53.
“It definitely starts with us,” Doncic said of he and James. “And when (Reaves) is back, it’s going to be all three of us, but now it starts with us, and we need to show what we can do. If we’re going to do it, we’re both going to do it, the group’s going to follow.”
The Kings, without three of their top four scorers because of injuries, were led by former Compton High and USC standout DeMar DeRozan, who scored 22 points to lead six players in double figures for Sacramento.