LOS ANGELES — Sacramento Kings rookie Nique Clifford had one of those NBA coming-of-age experiences Sunday night, courtesy of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Clifford delivered one of his best performances of the season, scoring 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting with seven rebounds and four assists. But it wasn’t nearly enough to stop the Lakers’ onslaught, as Los Angeles rolled to a 128-104 victory before 18,272 at Crypto.com Arena.
“It’s crazy,” Clifford, 24, said of sharing the floor with James, 41. “You grow up watching them. LeBron was in the league before I was born probably, so it’s crazy to play against him now, and to still be doing what he’s doing at that age is super impressive.”
Stars Shine Bright
Luka Doncic led the Lakers (36-24) with 28 points, five rebounds, and nine assists. LeBron James added 24 points as Los Angeles won on the second night of a back-to-back after beating Golden State on Saturday.
The Lakers scored 27 points off of Sacramento’s 20 turnovers, turning the game into a rout by halftime.
Youth Movement Shows Promise, But Turnovers Sting
The Kings (14-48) had won two of three after enduring a franchise-record 16-game losing streak, but Sunday was a step back. Rookie center Maxime Raynaud posted a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Russell Westbrook, returning from a thigh contusion, had 14 points and five assists but struggled from the field (6-of-16 FG, 1-of-7 3PT).
Coach Doug Christie didn’t hesitate when asked how the game slipped away: “Turnovers. Six turnovers in the first five minutes. You just can’t do it. You can’t survive.”
Clifford echoed his coach. “Taking care of the ball was an issue for us tonight,” he said. “It led to easy baskets for them, getting in transition. That’s how you build momentum.”
Clifford’s Growth
Despite the loss, Christie praised his rookie’s development. “I’m just proud to see him continue to grow as a young player,” Christie said. “When you look at the things he’s able to do out there, he got downhill. He shoots the 3. He handles the basketball. He makes plays. He rebounds. I love that.”
Clifford finished four points shy of his career high, set three weeks ago in a loss to Cleveland.
Up Next
The Kings return to Sacramento to open a five-game homestand against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday at Golden 1 Center.
The Suns (34-26) are seventh in the Western Conference, two games behind the Lakers for the final automatic playoff berth. Phoenix will be well-rested, having last played Thursday when they beat Los Angeles 113-110.
