NBA Media Reacts To Lakers Epic Win Over Kings

Lakers were really starting to hit their stride and look like one of the top teams in the Western Conference. However, then LeBron suffered a groin injury on Christmas Day and some of that momentum was soured.

The Los Angeles Lakers certainly got strong performance from several different players in their 121-114 win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was sensational off the bench as he scored a game-high 26 points on 9-of-21 shooting, including knocking down five threes. Josh Hart was also very instrumental in keeping the Lakers in the game in the first half as he scored 17 of his 22 points in the opening half.

Finally, Brandon Ingram settled into the playmaking role that had been vacated with the absence of James. The former second overall pick ended up scoring 21 points on a very efficient 9-of-13 shooting while dishing out a game-high nine assists. Los Angeles ended up shooting 48.0 percent from the field and received solid outings from players up and down their roster.

Here’s how the NBA media reacted to the action at the Staples Center on Sunday night.

Prior to Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, LeBron James arrived at the arena and was immediately handed a glass of wine. Ever since, there have been countless memes and jokes surrounding the scenario. It appears that James isn’t drinking in the arena this time around.

Josh Hart really helped pace the Lakers offense with 17 points in the first half. He’s struggled at times throughout the season and had a four-game stretch earlier this month in which he only scored single-digit points. It’s safe to say that he’s helping pick up the slack while LeBron James is out of the lineup.

The Los Angeles Lakers really shot the ball well when they had to and stepped up on the defensive end in the final minutes. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Josh Hart gave the team sensational performances out of the backcourt and clearly are showing their worth to the team.