Sunday night found the Los Angeles Lakers traveling to face the division rival Sacramento Kings, both of which were attempting to improve their records to 2-1.

Even though it was a game of back-and-forth that went into overtime, the Kings ultimately emerged victorious 132-127.

A couple clumsy turnovers by the Lakers early on contributed to a 7-3 start, with Taurean Prince making the first basket for Los Angeles.

Anthony Davis contributed to the Lakers’ traction with two blocks, and he then scored a putback layup. However, the Lakers have had difficulty with transitions recently, and that persisted early in this contest when the Kings took an 18-9 lead.

After a timeout, the Lakers responded with a 6-0 run, but they were unable to prevent the Kings from reaching the 3-point line early. Subsequently, JaVale McGee, a former Laker, inspired the home audience with a poster dunk to give the Kings a 41-28 first-quarter lead.

Early in the second period, Christian Wood got off to a slow start with consecutive triples, but it was ineffective as the Lakers continued to offer little resistance on defense.

However, the Kings eventually regained their composure from deep, and the Lakers began to nibble away. Austin Reaves was presented with several open opportunities but was unable to convert due to his ongoing struggles in the early season. However, Davis compensated for this by maintaining his two-way dominance for Los Angeles.

The Lakers reduced their deficit to four at one point, but a lackluster finish in the half, accompanied by five consecutive points from De’Aaron Fox, left them with a 66-55 halftime deficit.

Four team penalties were committed by the Kings in the initial two minutes of the third quarter. As a result, the Lakers maintained the advantage in the game and launched a 6-2 run to begin the half, which compelled a timeout from the Kings. However, they responded favorably by generating two triples to restore their lead to double digits.

In the third quarter, Prince continued his excellent play for the Lakers this season by directing a run that included a pass to Davis for a dunk and two consecutive three-pointers.

Notwithstanding Sabonis and Fox committing their fourth fouls and resting on the sideline in the third quarter, the Lakers failed to overcome the deficit and entered the fourth quarter trailing 87-83.

Rui Hachimura, who had a sluggish start to the season, gave the Lakers their first advantage early in the fourth quarter with two 3-pointers. A five-point advantage was established prior to the return of Fox, who executed a crucial three-point play in favor of his squad.

Fox subsequently suffered an ankle roll and was forced to return to the locker room for one minute before returning to promptly shoot a three-pointer that matched the one James hit on the previous possession.

The Lakers went cold at an inopportune time, falling behind by six points after missing seven consecutive shots, until LeBron James snapped the stalemate with a dunk.

Davis would ultimately tie the game with a putback dunk in the final minute, despite the fact that Gabe Vincent committed an egregious violation on Fox, who was forced to make two free throws. James then drove to the basket for an uncontested layup, tying the game once more with 13 seconds remaining. This gave the Kings one final possession, during which Keegan Murray failed to make a three-point attempt, thereby sending the game into overtime.

Following a relatively subdued evening, Malik Monk ignited Sacramento in overtime with nine consecutive points, extending their lead by four. James scored five points in the final minute, but Kevin Huerter restored his team’s lead with a monumental three-pointer in the dying seconds. That ultimately proved to be the decisive factor, as the Lakers were unable to mount a comeback.