The Lakers picked up a big win over the Kings on Thursday thanks to a team effort on both ends of the floor, making it one of JJ Redick’s favorite of the season.
Winning in Sacramento alone is something the Lakers haven’t done often in recent seasons, so that alone made Thursday’s road victory memorable in its own right.
But how the Lakers did it will certainly be remembered as well.
Anthony Davis spearheaded an utterly dominant night on the glass as the purple and gold outrebounded the Kings 53-43. But 14 of those were offensive boards, leading to 18 second-chance points in a particularly demoralizing loss for Sacramento.
On top of that, the Lakers forced 15 turnovers that led to 22 points as the Lakers won all the extra effort categories.
After the game, head coach JJ Redick singled this win out as one of the best of the season.
JJ Redick: “This might be my favorite win we’ve had all season.” Mentions the defensive effort and across the board contributions on a night the Lakers didn’t shoot it well.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 20, 2024
The Lakers did not have anything close to a good offensive night. They shot just 40.4% from the field and 36.4% from the 3-point line. But all the extra possessions created led to them attempting 12 more shots on the night.
They also repeatedly got to the line, going 25-30 from the charity stripe. Those margin victories added up to Thursday's win. Prior to the season, Redick spoke about the Lakers' need to improve their ability to create advantages on the margins and the win over the Kings boiled down to just that.
It also came from multiple people, which only made it more impressive and memorable. Gabe Vincent had his best offensive night as a Laker, Max Christie continued to shine defensively, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves each scored 20 points, D’Angelo Russell knocked down a number of tough shots and Rui Hachimura filled the stat sheet as well.
Add it up and you get one of the team’s best wins over the year. It’s still early in the year, but this one will likely stand out even at season’s end.
And so much for that Domantas Saboni-AD narrative.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.
