Doncic Stars on Return as Lakers Thump Kings 127-103 in Preseason Opener

Luka Doncic clearly enjoyed being back. After six months without an official basketball game — the longest stretch of his career since entering the NBA in 2018 — the Lakers superstar played just 16 first-half minutes but still dropped 21 points on 5-of-12 shooting as Los Angeles demolished the Sacramento Kings 127-103 in their preseason opener at the Golden 1 Center on Monday night. Head coach JJ Redick captured the moment afterwards, describing Doncic as not really "a drill guy" but someone who lights up the moment the game becomes real. Rookie Cameron Carr added 19 points off the bench, and the Lakers shot 50% from the field with 20 made three-pointers as the result was never in doubt. The Kings found their own reason for optimism in No. 7 overall pick Darius Acuff Jr., who scored 19 points with four assists in 27 minutes on his NBA debut and looked entirely at home against a Lakers defence that pressed him full-court all night. His main gripe afterwards was on the defensive end, where Sacramento had no answers. It was not all good news for Los Angeles: Austin Reaves (tweaked ankle) and new arrival Walker Kessler (jammed finger) sat out, though Redick insisted both are fine and day-to-day. The Lakers get no rest — they face the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Tuesday night in a rare preseason back-to-back.