LeBron James leads Lakers over Kings as teams honor memory of NBA great Kobe Bryant
LeBron James posted a triple-double, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 129-113 victory over the Kings on Saturday at Golden 1 Center on a night when former rivals honored the memory of NBA great Kobe Bryant.
James finished with 15 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for the Lakers (37-11), who bounced back after losing to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday in their first game since Bryant died. Anthony Davis had a team-high 21 points. Avery Bradley added 19.
De’Aaron Fox had 24 points, six rebounds and five assists for th e Kings (18-31), who had won three of their last four games. Buddy Hield came off the bench to score 22. Harry Giles III had 16 points and eight rebounds.
The Lakers had their way with the Kings early. They staged a 13-0 run to take a 25-10 lead on a basket by Davis. They went up by 24 on a 3-pointer by Kantavious Caldwell-Pope and carried a 44-22 lead into the second period.
The Kings cut the deficit to 13 on a 3-pointer by Cory Joseph and got within 12 on a long ball by Bogdan Bogdanovic. The Lakers quickly pushed their lead back to 18 with back-to-back 3-pointers from Alex Caruso and Pope.
The Lakers led 81-64 at the half. The Kings cut the deficit to 13 on a couple of occasions in the third quarter, but they never got any closer than that.
Kobe tributes
The Kings aired video tributes to Bryant during a first-quarter timeout and before the start of the second quarter. The first featured commentary from Bryant himself. The second included remembrances from some of his former rivals in the Kings organization, including general manager Vlade Divac and assistant general manager Peja Stojakovic.
“He was a fierce competitor, somebody who always had that confidence, and anything that he was doing, you had a feeling that he’s going to do that at the highest level,” Stojakovic said. “His legacy will live forever.”
The Kings also constructed an art installation outside the arena where fans left candles, flowers, Lakers memorabilia and handwritten messages. “Ko-be” chants filled the arena numerous times.
Bryant, 41, died along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash Sunday in Calabasas.
Dedmon out
Kings center Dewayne Dedmon missed Saturday’s game due to illness. The team said he was suffering from flu-like symptoms. Giles started in place of Dedmon.
With center Richaun Holmes (shoulder) and forward Marvin B agley III (foot) out due to injuries, Dedmon has recently returned to coach Luke Walton’s rotation more than a month after requesting a trade. Dedmon has been more active and energetic in recent weeks, averaging 6.1 points and 6.7 rebounds while posting three double-doubles over the first 10 games in January. He had 11 points and 11 rebounds with four steals and three blocked shots in Thursday’s 124-103 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Kings sign Mika
The Kings signed G League standout Eric Mika to a 10-day contract in order to fill out the roster with Dedmon, Holmes and Bagley all unavailable.
Mika, a 6-foot-10 center, is averaging 19.8 points, 14.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists for the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s G League affiliate. Mika checked into the game for the first time with 4:45 to play in the opening period. He looked active and aggressive, posting six points and four rebounds in his first nine-minute stint.
Mika finished with six points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes.
Injury report
Lakers: OUT — DeMarcus Cousins (knee).
Kings: OUT — Marvin Bagley III (foot); Richaun Holmes (shoulder); Dewayne Dedmon (illness).
Kings upcoming schedule
Feb. 3 vs. Minnesota, 5 p.m.
Feb. 7 vs. Miami, 7 p.m.
Feb. 8 vs. San Antonio, 7 p.m.
Feb. 10 at Milwaukee, 5 p.m.
Feb. 12 at Dallas, 5:30 p.m.
This story was originally published February 1, 2020 at 9:27 PM.
