After three defeats, the Lakers won against the Kings (125-101), helped by the James-Doncic duo. The Clippers brought down the Pistons (112-99) while the Thunder stopped the bleeding against Philadelphia (129-104).
The rant from JJ Redick – unhappy with the franchise’s performance after the setback against Houston – finally had its impact in the locker room. Against the Kings, LeBron James and Luka Doncic combined for 58 points. The Slovenian finished the match with 34 units (5 rebounds, 7 assists), while the King accumulated 24 points on 11/13 shots (3 rebounds, 5 assists).
The absence of Austin Reaves did not harm the Lakers. Leading at the end of the first quarter (30-24), the Lakers accelerated at halftime (68-53), taking up to 26 points ahead at the start of the third quarter (81-55). DeMar DeRozan’s 22 points were not enough, while Maxime Raynaud scored a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) for the Kings. Despite the great success of the locals, James came out in the last 12 minutes after a clash with DeRozan.
Los Angeles Lakers (4th) – Sacramento Kings (14th): 125-101
Los Angeles was celebrating last night as the Clippers brought down Detroit (112-99). A match marked by Kawhi Leonard’s 55 points. The winger adds 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals and 17/26 shooting to his stat line. This career record for Leonard allows the franchise to achieve a fourth success in a row. Detroit for its part suffered a second defeat, but remained leader in the East. James Harden (28 points, 7 assists) and Nicolas Batum (12 points, 4 rebounds) also put in a remarkable performance.
Los Angeles Clippers (13th) – Detroit Pistons (1st): 112-99
Sarr and Coulibaly offer the Grizzlies
In Washington, the French shone to offer the Wizards a second success in a row. Alexandre Sarr, his team’s top scorer, finished with 20 points and 9 rebounds, while Bilal Coulibaly had 14 points and 8 rebounds. Despite Jaren Jackson’s 31 points (8 rebounds) and Ja Morant’s 21 points (7 assists), Memphis lost for the second time in a week against the Wizards and ended its winning streak.
Washington Wizards (14th) – Memphis Grizzlies (9th): 116-112
