Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves Shine in Lakers' Preseason Victory Over Kings

The Lakers relied on the impressive chemistry between Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to secure a 114-110 victory against the Sacramento Kings during a preseason game at Crypto.com Arena.

The duo immediately showcased their partnership when the first play saw Reaves feed Doncic cutting to the basket, who scored despite drawing a foul. Both players logged 25 minutes on the court. Doncic ended the night with 23 points on six-of-16 shooting, while Reaves contributed eight points on two-of-seven shooting, along with eight assists and five rebounds.

Standout Moments from the Game

• Doncic's highlight: A remarkable 31-foot, one-legged three-pointer in the second quarter, assisted by Sandro Mamukelashvili, who finished with 19 points.
• Reaves' highlight: Late in the second quarter, he used a hesitation move to freeze defender Emanuel Sharp, allowing an easy layup along the baseline.

Despite a technical foul called on Doncic late in the third quarter and Reaves returning after missing earlier exhibition games, the pair energized the crowd and demonstrated why they could be one of the league's most effective offensive backcourts.

Coach JJ Redick on Their Partnership

"I think there's good chemistry with each other," Redick said. "They genuinely like playing together. Having both on the floor means there are automatically two ballhandlers out there, which is an underrated advantage in today's NBA where having multiple ballhandlers matters a lot."

Injury Updates for Lakers Players

• Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton missed their third consecutive preseason games.
• Ziaire Williams sat out his second straight game due to soreness, but the team isn't worried.
• Cameron Carr, Dalton Knecht, and Arthur Kaluma also did not participate in the game.

Kessler, acquired from the Utah Jazz, has been dealing with a finger injury sustained during practice when he struck the backboard. Coach Redick noted that they'll assess his condition soon but expects him to return during the preseason.