Los Angeles Lakers - Sacramento Kings: No More Skin on Lakers’ Teeth

An odd schedule to be sure, but the first time the Lakers play the Kings turns out to be in March. Of their last 22 games, the Lakers play the Kings four times, which is more than a single-tiered blessing. First off, playing a non-playoff team for conference games this late definitely can help the Lakers build up their win total (as long as they stay sharp every time). And second, playing a team that doesn’t like the Lakers can give the Lakers a bit of edge that can hopefully be transferred to other games. The No. 1 priority coming into this game—don’t take it for granted. For as poor as the Kings are right now, they play tough at home, and it’s the Lakers, so there’s added intensity. As the Lakers sleepwalked through the first half, that intensity from the Kings was showing. Luckily for the Lakers, they staggered into the second half only down by five. But as the careless play continued, you wondered whether the Lakers would ever wake up. That’s ... (link)