LeBron James and Lakers Outduel De'Aaron Fox and Kings

The Sacramento Kings struggles continued in a 99-103 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. De'Aaron Fox scored 31 points and dished out 7 assists, but LeBron James had 32 and 7 to lead the Lakers.
James was in attack mode from the start and made the Kings pay inside all night.
LeBron James in the paint tonight: 8-of-10 (80%)
— Will Z. Stats (@will_zimmerle) December 22, 2024
Hard to stop him when he gets downhill, and Kings had no answer for it tonight.
The Kings now fall to 13-16 on the season with their third straight loss and have an alarming 3-10 record in games decided by five points or fewer.
For a team that came into the season with two of the best clutch scorers in the NBA in Fox and DeMar DeRozan, that was supposed to be a strong suit for Sacramento. Instead, the struggles continue in the tight contests.
The Kings had a chance to win the game down the stretch, but after Anthony Davis missed two free throws, Rui Hachimura tipped the ball out to Austin Reaves for a second opportunity to seal the game. Reaves made both attempts and secured the game for the Lakers.
It was an unfortunate play, as the Kings did a much better job keeping the Lakers off the offensive glass. After Los Angeles had 14 offensive rebounds on Thursday, that number dropped to 9 tonight. But it being the key play down the stretch will be what sticks in people's minds tonight.
The Kings have a quick turnaround as the Indiana Pacers come to town for another matinee matchup tomorrow.
Follow Sacramento Kings on SI on Facebook and Twitter.
Subscribe on YouTube for breaking Kings news videos and live-stream podcasts!