The Lakers play their first home game of the preseason tonight, and JJ Redick wants a better start than he got in San Francisco. Lakers vs Kings tips off Thursday, October 8, at 7:30 p.m. PT at Crypto.com Arena, on ESPN2 and Spectrum SportsNet. It is a rematch of Monday’s 127-103 win in Sacramento, and it follows Tuesday’s 124-98 loss at Golden State, a game Redick did not like.
Here is the game-day picture: what Redick said after the loss, who is listed, what Sacramento could look like and five things to watch.
Redick’s Message After Golden State
The Lakers had Wednesday off after the loss. Redick was not upset about the score. He was upset about how the game started. “I told them this at halftime,” he said Tuesday. “We’ve had a handful of these games as a coach where you’re missing star players and you’re missing a lot of your depth. I still expect to win, and I still expect us to play to our standards, and that first half did not meet my expectations. And I let them know that.”
He named the problem. “When you drop a first play and then you give them a second play — and it’s a play that’s been scripted for ten days or whatever it’s been — and they don’t run either correctly, I mean that’s just unacceptable. You’re not ready to play,” Redick said. On defense, he added: “Not being attached to bodies, not switching, that’s not our defense. That’s not what we practice. They were better than us.”
He also gave the players some credit. “I thought they responded in the second half,” he said. After trailing 81-53 at the break, the Lakers won the second half 45-43.
Lakers vs Kings Injury Report and Availability
As of Thursday morning, the Lakers had not released an official availability report for tonight. Updates usually come during Redick’s pregame availability. The most recent information:
- Austin Reaves (ankle): day-to-day. He tweaked the ankle in practice and has not played in either preseason game.
- Walker Kessler (left pinky finger): day-to-day. He jammed the finger on the backboard in practice and has worn a splint.
- Collin Sexton (lower body): day-to-day. Redick called it a “very light lower-body injury.”
- Arthur Kaluma (lower body): day-to-day.
- Luka Doncic: played 16 minutes in the opener and sat Tuesday. Injury listings show an undisclosed designation; there is no confirmation of his status for tonight.
- Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams: sat Tuesday as rest days, according to injury listings.
Redick said on Monday that none of the four injuries is serious. “Walker will be out. He jammed his finger on the backboard. He’s fine,” he said on Spectrum SportsNet. “[Austin Reaves] tweaked his ankle. He’s also fine. And then Kaluma and Sexton, just very light lower body injuries. But all four of those guys are day-to-day.” This is the third game in four nights for the Lakers, so they could hold players out again. Nothing has been announced.
Why Reaves and Kessler Matter
The Lakers have not played a preseason game with Doncic, Reaves and Kessler together. Redick has said he plans to stagger Doncic and Reaves, keeping one of them on the floor at most times. Those second-unit lineups are the ones that need preseason minutes. Kessler has not played yet this preseason. Kevon Looney started at center Monday and Sandro Mamukelashvili started Tuesday.
Matisse Thybulle explained what Kessler does in practice in a clip on the Infanity TV channel, embedded below. He talked about Kessler’s timing on when to commit and the mind games that push scorers into shots they do not want.
What Sacramento Brings
The Kings started Darius Acuff Jr., Zach LaVine, De’Andre Hunter, Precious Achiuwa and Domantas Sabonis on Monday. Sabonis played only 10 minutes. Nique Clifford led Sacramento with 23 points and nine rebounds off the bench, and Acuff, a rookie, added 19 points and five turnovers. Keegan Murray, Malik Monk and Ben Simmons all sat Monday and are listed as day-to-day. Injury listings point to Thursday as their target, but none has been confirmed.
Sacramento should be fresher. The Kings last played Monday, while the Lakers are on their third game in four nights. Monday’s game turned on the Lakers’ full-court pressure and Sacramento’s 4-of-23 three-point shooting. Expect the Kings to handle the ball better this time.
Five Things to Watch
- The first two plays. After Redick’s comments, the opening possessions are worth watching. A clean start would show the message got through.
- The starting five. The Lakers have used two different lineups. Doncic, Quentin Grimes, Williams, Thybulle and Looney started Monday. Bronny James, Grimes, Adou Thiero, Jake LaRavia and Mamukelashvili started Tuesday. If Reaves or Kessler plays, the lineup will change again.
- The line of confrontation. Redick said after Monday’s win that “the disruption we talked about carried over.” Golden State broke that pressure Tuesday with 32 assists. A home game against a team the Lakers already pressured well is a good test of whether it was a one-night result.
- The roster battle. Dalton Knecht was the only Laker with a positive plus-minus at Golden State (+3, 11 points). Cameron Carr scored 19 in the opener, and Chris Mañon has scored in both games (12 and 7 points). Each game matters for the final roster spots.
- Bronny James at point guard. He started Tuesday and has spoken about leading from the point guard spot. His decision-making with the second unit is worth watching.
Watch: Matisse Thybulle on Walker Kessler
For more from camp, see Bronny James on guarding Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves in practice, also on Infanity TV, and our Day 3 roster-battle report.
Schedule
- Tonight, Thursday, Oct. 8: Lakers vs. Kings, Crypto.com Arena, 7:30 p.m. PT (ESPN2, Spectrum SportsNet, ESPN LA 710)
- Tuesday, Oct. 13: vs. Golden State, T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, 7 p.m. PT
- Friday, Oct. 16: vs. Denver, Crypto.com Arena, 7:30 p.m. PT
- Wednesday, Oct. 21: regular-season opener vs. Golden State
Redick mentioned the opener himself on Tuesday, saying the staff would go over Golden State’s post splits “a bunch before we play them on the 21st.” Tonight he gets another chance to see better execution against an opponent the Lakers have already beaten once.
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