The Los Angeles Lakers suffered their third loss of the season, falling to the Sacramento Kings 132-127 in overtime. Like their previous games, the Lakers had to come from behind to force overtime.
In the losing effort, LeBron James and Anthony Davis played pivotal roles in bringing the Lakers back. Davis led the team with 30 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and three blocks, while James contributed 27 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists.
Their individual performances were historic, as it marked the first time since 2002 that two Lakers players had at least 25 points and 15 rebounds in the same game, a feat previously achieved by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
Despite the impressive statistics, both James and Davis would have preferred their historic performance to result in a win for the team. The Lakers are still working to regain the level of play they achieved at the end of the previous season, and James emphasized the need for time to build the continuity they are seeking.
Anthony Davis and LeBron James are the 1st Lakers duo to each have 25 points and 15 rebounds in a game since Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant on Christmas Day in 2002 vs the Kings.
The last duo to do this for any team was Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan in 2014.
— Matt Williams (@StatsWilliams) October 30, 2023
The Lakers face the Orlando Magic in their next game, and it will be interesting to see if James and Davis are available to play after their extended minutes in the previous overtime loss.
One of the issues the Lakers have faced in the early part of the season is poor rotations, as head coach Darvin Ham works to find the lineups that work best for the team. Ham acknowledged the need to review film and improve his rotations following the loss to the Kings.