Doncic's 40 points power Lakers past Kings 116-103

Luka Doncic scored 40 points and the Lakers beat the Kings 116-103 on Wednesday 4 November 2026 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, in front of 14,484 spectators. He added 9 rebounds and 7 assists in 35 minutes. The game stayed level after one quarter before Los Angeles pulled away in a series of runs.

Sacramento were without Keegan Murray, Ben Simmons, Maxime Raynaud and Daeqwon Plowden, all ruled out in the pre-game injury report. On the Lakers' side, Adou Thiero missed out with a knee problem. Los Angeles are now 7-2 and sit 2nd in the Western Conference. Sacramento fall to 1-7, 15th in the West. The final margin, 13 points, matches the gap at the free-throw line: 34 made for the Lakers, 21 for the Kings.

Sacramento start fast, Lakers respond before the break

The Kings owned the start of the game. A 9-0 run, from 0-3 to 9-3, launched with 10:38 left in the first quarter, set the tone. Sacramento reached their biggest lead of the night at 13-5, with 7:46 to play. The Lakers then came back and the two teams ended the period level, 28-28.

The second quarter turned in its closing minutes. At 46-46, the Lakers produced an 8-0 run from 4:19 before the break to lead 54-46. They won the period 33-26 and went into the locker room ahead, 61-54. The lead changed hands 4 times in the game, with 6 ties.

Third-quarter 10-0 run makes the difference

The third quarter showed the size of the gap. At 73-69, Sacramento were still within four points. The Lakers then went on a 10-0 run, from 5:53 to play, to move to 83-69. They won the period 26-20 and entered the final quarter 13 points clear, 87-74. The Kings scored only 20 points in the quarter, their lowest total of the night.

The fourth quarter finished level, 29-29, but Los Angeles sealed it with a closing 9-0 run. Sacramento had cut the deficit to seven points, 101-94, with 3:55 to play; the run made it 110-94. The Lakers' biggest lead, 18 points, came at 116-98, with 50.6 seconds left.

The Lakers' supporting cast

Doncic carried the attack: 40 points, 11 of 23 from the field, including 6 of 13 from three, 12 of 13 at the free-throw line and a plus-minus of +11. He also turned the ball over 6 times. Austin Reaves added 21 points on 7 of 15 shooting, with no turnovers, and a +14 in 37 minutes. Walker Kessler contributed 15 points on 6 of 8, 8 rebounds, 3 steals and 4 blocks in 29 minutes.

Off the bench, Ziaire Williams scored 10 points with a +12 in 23 minutes, and Collin Sexton had 10 points in 16 minutes. Jake LaRavia, a starter, made all 3 of his shots for 9 points. Quentin Grimes scored only 6 points, but finished with the best plus-minus in the game, +19, in 25 minutes.

As a team, the Lakers took fewer shots than Sacramento, 78 attempts to 90, for the same number of makes, 35. The difference came from ball security, 12 turnovers to 18, and ten more attempts at the free-throw line. Los Angeles scored 23 points off the Kings' turnovers, against 8 conceded. The Lakers also blocked 13 shots to 4, and scored 21 fast-break points to 11.

Sacramento won the boards, not the possessions

Darius Acuff Jr. finished as the Kings' top scorer with 22 points and 12 assists in 42 minutes, but on 8 of 24 shooting, with 4 turnovers. Zach LaVine contributed 21 points on 6 of 14 and turned the ball over 6 times. Domantas Sabonis pulled down 17 rebounds with 16 points, and a plus-minus of -17. De'Andre Hunter added 14 points, and Malik Monk 13 off the bench on 5 of 16.

The Kings dominated the glass, 46 rebounds to 38, including 15 offensive to 10, and scored more in the paint, 40 points to 34. Those second chances did not make up for shooting 39% from the field, 35 of 90, or for the 18 turnovers. The third quarter, lost 26-20 with the 10-0 run conceded, opened a gap that the 29-29 final quarter did not close.

Three takeaways

Doncic accounted for the bulk of the Lakers' scoring. His 40 points were 19 more than Reaves, Los Angeles's second-highest scorer. He made 6 of his team's 12 three-pointers and 12 free throws, more than a third of the 34 converted by the Lakers.

The Kings gave the ball away too often. Sacramento turned it over 18 times to 12, and above all conceded 23 points off those turnovers, against 8 conceded by the Lakers. Acuff Jr. and LaVine lost 10 between them.

Rebounding was not enough. Sacramento took 8 more rebounds and 5 more offensive rebounds, but shot 39% to Los Angeles's 45%. With 12 more shots attempted, the Kings did not make a single one more.

The SNA view

The Lakers did not win every area. Sacramento outdid them on the boards, 46 to 38, and in the paint, 40 points to 34. From distance, both teams finished 12 of 38. The gap was built on possessions: Los Angeles turned it over six fewer times and got ten more free throws. Doncic provided the volume with 40 points in 35 minutes. Reaves contributed 21 points without a turnover, going 6 of 6 from the line. For Sacramento, Acuff Jr.'s 8 of 24 shooting and LaVine's 6 turnovers weighed heavily. Without Murray, Simmons and Raynaud, the Kings held their own in the first quarter, 28-28, then lost the next two, 33-26 and 26-20.

What's next

Los Angeles, at 7-2 and 2nd in the Western Conference, host Portland on Friday 6 November. Sacramento, at 1-7 and 15th in the West, host San Antonio the same night. The Lakers lead the season series 1-0.