Lakers guard Austin Reaves, left, passes while under pressure from Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Lakers forward Anthony Davis, second from right, shoots as Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis, left, guard De’Aaron Fox, second from left, and guard Malik Monk defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk, right, celebrates after scoring as Lakers forward Anthony Davis stands by during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray, right, dunks over Lakers guard Max Christie during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Sacramento Kings interim head coach Doug Christie claps during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Lakers, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Lakers guard Austin Reaves reacts after getting fouled while shooting during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. Reaves missed the shot. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Lakers guard Austin Reaves, left, shoots as Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Lakers guard Dalton Knecht, right, shoots as Sacramento Kings forward Trey Lyles defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Lakers guard Gabe Vincent, left, shoots as Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Sacramento Kings forward Trey Lyles (41) and Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) grapple for a rebound tpkduring the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, left, shoots as Lakers guard Max Christie defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk, left, shoots as Lakers forward Anthony Davis defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Lakers forward Anthony Davis, right, shoots as Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk, right, shoots as Lakers guard Max Christie defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk, right, drives past Lakers guard Max Christie during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Lakers forward Anthony Davis, center, reaches for a loose ball as Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis, left, and guard De’Aaron Fox watch during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Actor Andy Garcia watches during the second half of an NBA basketball game between the Lakers and the Sacramento Kings, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Actor Vince Vaughn, center, watches during the second half of an NBA basketball game between the Lakers and the Sacramento Kings, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Show Caption1 of 18Lakers guard Austin Reaves, left, passes while under pressure from Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Expand LOS ANGELES — Three days after their Christmas Day game thriller, the Lakers returned home with an ailing LeBron James, who was still feeling under the weather and did not play Saturday against the Sacramento Kings. It was James’ third missed game of the season. That left the Lakers to face a team in turbulence following the firing of the coach. The Sacramento Kings dismissed Mike Brown on Friday after two-plus seasons and promoted Doug Christie to interim coach after the team floundered in the Western Conference standings. Lakers coach JJ Redick suspected the unexpected move might motivate the Kings, who were looking to kick start their season. “There are numerous examples throughout the NBA where a player gets traded, a player gets released, the coach is fired midseason and a team has a new energy and there’s this instant sort of boost to the aura,” Redick said before the game. “We’re going into this game, we’re expecting to get their best tonight and that means their energy, that means the way they’re pushing the basketball, that means the way they’re flying around on offensive defense.” He was right in a way. The Kings didn’t let the previous day’s drama affect their play, pushing the Lakers for two-plus quarters or until Anthony Davis got going and led the Lakers to a 132-122 victory over the Kings at Crypto.com Arena. The nine-time All-Star went off for 36 points on 12-of-16 shooting, hitting mid-range shots, connecting on lob dunks and 3-pointers. He also made 11 of 13 free throws and had 15 rebounds to lift the Lakers (18-13) to their third consecutive victory and fifth in their past six games. Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura combined for 47 points to lead the Lakers to a season sweep of the Kings and their fifth victory in six games. Reaves had a career-high 16 assists, eclipsing his previous best of 14, and had six rebounds. Without James, Redick was forced to run a lot of different plays and rotations. Some worked, some didn’t. “There was some early offense stuff that we got to using some of their ducks,” Redick said, adding that their success against the Kings (13-19) centered on their passing. The Lakers collected 33 assists, led by Reaves’ game-high assists. “It’s been a big emphasis for the last 7-10 days. It’s a can be a simple game with some complex ideas, but we want to run, we want to pass, and we want to screen,” Redick said. “That’s really what we try to emphasize.” Reaves gave much of the credit for his career night to his teammates. “The majority of the time, the hard thing is not to throw the ball to the open guy. It’s probably harder to make the shot than to throw it to the guy,” Reaves said. “When guys are making shots, you see the assists but it’s really them doing all the work. But all that nearly went to waste as the Kings found an extra ounce of motivation in the fourth quarter, trimming the Lakers’ 17-point lead down to seven, 115-108. The Kings made one more push down the stretch, closing to within eight, 130-122, but couldn’t overcome the Lakers’ sharpshooting. The Lakers shot 59.7% from the field and 53.8% from 3-point range. “We knew they were going to come out with energy like you said,” Reaves said of the Kings. “They’re a good basketball team. They’re not what their record shows. They have talent. They have discipline. And I think, for the most part, they play the game the right way.” After a tight first half and a slow start to the third quarter, Davis pulled the team together and told them they needed to lock down defensively. “Obviously this team (Kings) plays very fast in transition,” Davis said. “We were just scoring, we were just trading buckets and we’re not going to be able to do that. We got to rely on our defense. So, I just told everybody we got to defend, we got to lay our hats on defense, and we just kind of locked back in defensively, started getting stops to finish the third.” The Lakers listened and eventually subdued the Kings, starting with a 10-2 run in the third quarter to take an 86-78 lead and then extending their lead to 90-80 on a reverse layup by D’Angelo Russell. Russell (left thumb sprain) was one of a handful of players who were either doubtful or questionable coming into the game. Davis (left ankle) and Hachimura (illness) played, but Jaxson Hayes, who has played just once since Nov. 10 because of consecutive injuries to his right ankle, was available but did not get off the bench. The Lakers didn’t let up, running off nine consecutive points to finish off a 42-point third quarter as the Kings struggled to make shots. De’Aaron Fox made just one of his nine 3-point attempts but still finished with 29 points and 12 assists. Demar DeRozan led the Kings with 25 points, six rebounds and seven assists, and Malik Monk added 20 points. Related Articles Lakers | Swanson: What have 30 games taught the Lakers? Just the obvious – plug the holes Lakers | Austin Reaves’ game-winner and triple-double lead Lakers past Warriors Lakers | Anthony Davis leaves Lakers’ Christmas Day game with ankle injury Lakers | Lakers’ LeBron James, Warriors’ Steph Curry adding another chapter to rivalry on Christmas Day Lakers | Lakers’ 3-game winning streak ends with loss to Pistons The Kings, who had lost five in a row entering Saturday’s game, got rolling in the first half to overcome an 11-point deficit and lead, 66-65, at intermission. Fox scored the final four points of the half, on a putback off a steal and a pair of free throws and assisted on another basket to pull the Kings ahead with 13 seconds remaining before halftime. He scored 12 points and had six assists in the opening 24 minutes. Gabe Vincent, who started in place of James, left early in the first half with an oblique strain he suffered when Sabonis hit in coming off a hard screen. He will be evaluated further.