LOS ANGELES, CA — For most of Thursday night, the Los Angeles Lakers looked comfortably in control. The final minutes made the scoreboard considerably less comfortable.
The Lakers held off the Sacramento Kings for a 114-110 preseason victory at Crypto.com Arena, surviving a late Sacramento push after building a 16-point lead through three quarters. Luka Dončić scored 23 points in 25 minutes, Austin Reaves returned to the lineup and Sandro Mamukelashvili supplied 19 points off the bench in Los Angeles’ second preseason win over Sacramento.
Luka Dončić continues building toward opening night
Dončić looked sharper and more assertive as his preseason workload increased. He attacked early, scored 10 points in the first quarter and repeatedly forced Sacramento’s defense to react before it could settle into its coverages.
His 23-point night was not a finished-product performance—he made two of his six attempts from beyond the arc—but it was another useful step toward regular-season rhythm. The Lakers do not need Dončić chasing peak form in October exhibitions. They need him stacking healthy, productive minutes and establishing timing with a reshaped rotation. Thursday checked both boxes.
Austin Reaves restores the two-creator look
Reaves made his preseason debut and immediately gave the offense another organizer. His final line—eight points and eight assists—mattered less than the way the Lakers moved when he shared the floor with Dončić.
Reaves kept the ball moving, created advantages without dominating possessions and found Adou Thiero for one of the rookie’s baskets. That secondary playmaking changes the geometry of the offense. Defenses cannot load every decision toward Dončić when Reaves is available to attack the next rotation.
Sandro Mamukelashvili gives the bench a jolt
Mamukelashvili delivered the night’s strongest case for a larger role. His 19 points came with the blend of spacing, activity and confidence the Lakers hoped he could bring to their frontcourt.
He helped ignite the second-quarter separation and knocked down a pair of threes late in the third, including a step-back that pushed the lead back into double figures. On a roster built around Dončić’s ability to collapse a defense, a big who can make quick decisions and punish open space will keep getting opportunities.
The decisive stretch came before halftime
The Lakers led only 21-20 after the first quarter before breaking the game open with a 19-3 run in the second. Jake LaRavia, Dončić, Reaves, Mamukelashvili and Matisse Thybulle all contributed from the perimeter as Los Angeles turned a one-possession game into a 57-43 halftime advantage.
Los Angeles carried an 86-70 lead into the fourth quarter. LaRavia finished with 14 points, while the Lakers’ depth offered enough shooting and energy to keep Sacramento chasing the game until the deep reserves took over.
Turnovers and defensive rebounding remain the warning signs
The film will not be entirely pleasant for JJ Redick. The teams combined for 50 turnovers, Sacramento collected 20 offensive rebounds and the Lakers allowed a largely settled game to become competitive in the closing minutes.
Los Angeles helped offset the sloppiness by earning 38 free-throw attempts, but relying on the foul line is not a sustainable answer for loose possessions and second-chance points. Those are correctable preseason problems. They are also the kind that can erase good offensive work once the games count.
A late scare does not erase the useful work
Sacramento cut the margin to four in the final two minutes, forcing the Lakers to finish a game that had appeared over. William Kyle III and Jarred Vanderbilt provided timely baskets before Jaden Hardy and Bronny James helped close the night at the free-throw line.
The finish was messier than Redick would have wanted, but the larger takeaway was positive: Dončić increased his workload, Reaves returned, Mamukelashvili changed the game off the bench and the Lakers’ main rotation created meaningful separation.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers continue their preseason schedule Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors in Las Vegas. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT.