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The Los Angeles Lakers have one preseason game left before the regular season begins, heading to Las Vegas to take on the Sacramento Kings at the MGM Grand. The Lakers have a chance to end the preseason with a 4-4 record if they can win their third straight game.
Jeremy Lin and Ed Davis are both expected to play off the bench, leaving starting duties to Ronnie Price and Robert Sacre. Davis and Lin give the Lakers' bench unit a duo that's chemistry has been clicking from their first games together, using the pick-and-roll to create efficient points for an offense that's susceptible to nasty dry spells.
Julius Randle had his best game as a Laker against the Portland Trail Blazers, showing off his versatile talents on his way to 17 points and eight rebounds. His preseason has been inconsistent, but when everything falls into place, it's hard to believe he fell all the way to the seventh-overall pick even in a draft as deep as it was in 2014.
More on the Kings
More on the Kings
The Kings are one of the teams still projected to dwell at the bottom of the Western Conference, even with DeMarcus Cousins adding another season under his belt along with some of the young talent they've accrued over the last few years. Sacramento still has growing to do, along with second-year head coach Michael Malone, but they have talented pieces in place.
It's been a tough preseason for the Lakers, who can't seem to stay maintain their health for the third straight year. The Lakers officially ruled Steve Nash out for the season Thursday, which is the big injury news, but the Lakers have been playing without him for the majority of preseason and should have been well-prepared for this scenario. They're still dealing with scattered injuries across the board as well, but the show must go on.
One more game for Byron Scott to test and observe his players, and one more game for us to see if the team has actually made progress over the span of exhibition play. Enjoy the final game without a meaningful result.
Time: 7 p.m. PT
Station: TWCSN