Lakers lose first game of the California Classic to the Kings

Despite great individual performances, the Lakers lacked defense and lost to the Sacramento Kings.

The Lakers lose the first game of the California Classic, 108-94 to the Sacramento Kings, on Saturday afternoon.

Maxwell Lewis had an impressive showing, scoring 14 points, three rebounds, an assist and a steal. Bronny James Jr. scored four points with two rebounds, two assists and a steal. Dalton Knecht scored 12 points with four assists, two rebounds and two steals.

Colin Castleton started the game slowly but found his footing for 11 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and a block. Armel Traore scored six points and grabbed three rebounds. Blake Hinson had a nice showing off the bench for 17 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Tommy Kuhse had a productive game off the bench for Los Angeles with his sharpshooting for 15 points and dishing eight dimes.

The Lakers started their Summer League journey with Lewis going on a 4-0 run and then adding two more points for six straight. The Kings jumped ahead by five after Los Angeles had started with all the momentum.

The game started with sloppy but fun, fast-paced action. Lakers rookie headliners Knecht and Bronny missed their first shot attempts but were finding good looks. At the end first, the Lakers were down five.

The Lakers maintained nice energy well into the second frame and managed to tie the score. Bronny’s first points came five minutes into the quarter with a great layup off the glass. Adonis Arms was the first player from either team to score in double digits, keeping the Kings ahead.

Sacramento extended their lead by nine after an 11-0 scoring run. LA moved the ball well, keeping the game clean with just one turnover. Knecht connected from deep for his first points, minus a free throw. The Lakers trailed for much of the quarter but were close enough to leap ahead.

A reverse layup by Castleton helped the Lakers trail by only six going into halftime.

Lewis’ hot first-half scoring continued in the second, with him scoring the first points for LA. After a slow start, Castleton picked it up and looked more confident with his scoring and playing around the rim.

The Lakers cut the deficit to three before Arms scored a layup to push the Kings up by six again. Sacramento looked like the more polished young team with Arms completely dominating the game.

There wasn’t enough defense being played by the Lakers so no matter how much they scored, the Kings kept their lead up. With about a minute left in the third, both teams went back and forth with the scoring. The Kings were up 13 going into the fourth.

Hinson opened the final frame with a great 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 10. The Lakers were finding nice looks but couldn’t convert enough shots, and their defense needed a lot of work. There were bright spots, with Hinson and Kuhse showing up big with not just their scoring but also affecting the game in other ways, like assisting.

The Lakers had been able to cut the deficit to five, but the Kings jumped ahead by double digits again, with all the momentum still in their favor. Much of the rest of the fourth was spent with the Kings continuing to dominate and Arms putting on a show.

Key Takeaways:

There were great individual performances, but the Lakers will need to work harder as a team to play a complete game with better defense.

Bronny and Knecht missed many shots but looked more comfortable as the game continued. More experience will help them convert those missed shots.

Hinson and Kuhse were major bright spots for this young Lakers Summer League team and will be key to any wins.

Catch the next California Classic game on Sunday against the Golden State Warriors at 3:30 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.