Dennis Schroder made two free throws with 3.6 seconds left, LeBron James recorded 37 points and the Los Angeles Lakers increased their season-best winning streak to five games with a high-octane 136–134 victory over the host Sacramento Kings on Saturday night, Jan. 7.
James added eight rebounds and seven assists, while Thomas Bryant scored a season-high 29 points on 12–of–14 shooting and collected 14 rebounds for Los Angeles. Schroder was 4 of 5 from 3-point range while scoring 27 points and Russell Westbrook had 23 points and matched his season best of 15 assists for the Lakers.
De'Aaron Fox had 34 points and nine assists and Domantas Sabonis had 25 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists before fouling out for the Kings. Harrison Barnes scored 18 points, Kevin Huerter added 17, Keegan Murray tallied 16 and Trey Lyles had 11 for Sacramento.
After Schroder made the decisive free throws, Fox’s 42-footer bounced off the back of the rim as time expired.
Sabonis registered his 16th consecutive double-double to break the franchise record set by DeMarcus Cousins during the 2013–14 season. Sabonis leads the NBA with 29 double-doubles.
James converted a three-point play to give Los Angeles a 133-132 lead with 48.1 seconds remaining. Westbrook split two free throws with 18.9 seconds left before Fox tied the score with a 13-foot turnaround jumper with 7.4 seconds to play.
The Lakers shot 61 percent from the field, including 9 of 21 from 3-point range, while snapping a three-game losing streak against the Kings.
Sacramento connected on 52.3 percent of its shots and was 14 of 32 from behind the arc.
The Lakers opened the fourth quarter with an 11-2 burst to take a 120–111 lead with 8:06 remaining.
But the Kings bounced back with a 13–4 run and Sabonis scored back-to-back baskets to tie it at 124 with 4:50 left.
Each team scored at least 35 points in each of the first three quarters of the high-scoring affair.
Sacramento led 38–37 after the first quarter before the Lakers outscored the Kings 36–35 in the second. Los Angeles shot 62.8 percent in the first half, which ended in a tie at 73.
The Kings led 81–75 early in the third quarter after a 3-pointer by Huerter. But the Lakers tied the score at 94 on two free throws by Bryant with 5:54 remaining.
Sacramento inched back ahead near the end of the quarter, but James drove for a hoop with 1.3 seconds left to tie it at 109.
