The Los Angeles Lakers will thrive under Luka Doncic’s leadership this season. With LeBron James no longer there to shoulder the face of the franchise badge. This ultimately means the Slovenian guard will have increased attention on him.
During the Lakers preseason game against the Sacramento Kings, Doncic wasted little time bringing his familiar on-court confrontations back into action. The six-time NBA All-Star picked up a technical foul during Thursday's 114-110 win over the Kings after arguing with an official.
The incident happened late in the third quarter, when Doncic continued to dispute a call during a timeout. A video on X, formerly Twitter, showed him exchanging words with referee Aaron Smith.
Doncic finished with a game-high 23 points in 25 minutes before leaving the contest. He also produced one of the night's standout moments by knocking down a three-pointer from near half court as the Lakers secured their second preseason win over Sacramento.
The technical foul did little to change the result, as LA’s key players kept showing elite preparedness ahead of the regular season.
The teams combined for 50 turnovers, while Sacramento collected 20 offensive rebounds. Los Angeles made up for some of those problems by earning 38 free throws and building a substantial lead before the reserves allowed the margin to shrink late.
Austin Reaves returned to the lineup and contributed eight points, eight assists, and six rebounds. Jake LaRavia added 14 points, while Sandro Mamukelashvili led the Lakers' bench with 19.
The Lakers will next face the Golden State Warriors in Las Vegas on Tuesday.