In a highly anticipated matchup, the Los Angeles Lakers hit the road to face off against their division rivals, the Sacramento Kings, on Sunday night. Both teams entered the game seeking to improve their records to 2-1.

The game proved to be a thrilling back-and-forth contest that ultimately required overtime. However, it was the Kings who emerged victorious with a final score of 132-127.

The Lakers had a few early turnovers that allowed the Kings to jump to a 7-3 lead, with Taurean Prince’s three-pointer marking the Lakers’ first field goal of the night. Anthony Davis, with a couple of impressive blocks, helped settle the Lakers. He later added a putback layup, but the Lakers faced challenges in transition, allowing the Kings to take an 18-9 lead.

Despite a 6-0 run by the Lakers after a timeout, they struggled to contain the Kings’ three-point shooting. A poster dunk by former Laker JaVale McGee energized the Kings, who finished the first quarter with a 41-28 lead.

Christian Wood made an impact with consecutive three-pointers early in the second quarter, though the Lakers continued to struggle defensively. The Kings eventually cooled off from deep, and the Lakers began to chip away at the deficit. Austin Reaves had open looks but couldn’t convert, while Davis continued to dominate at both ends of the floor for the Lakers.

The Lakers managed to reduce their deficit to four at one point, but a late surge by the Kings, led by De’Aaron Fox’s five straight points, left the Lakers trailing 66-55 at halftime.

The Lakers capitalized on the Kings’ early foul trouble in the third quarter, entering the bonus and starting the half with a 6-2 run, prompting a Sacramento timeout. Despite this, the Kings responded with back-to-back triples, restoring their double-digit lead.

Taurean Prince continued to make a positive impact for the Lakers, leading a run in the third quarter by setting up Davis for a dunk and knocking down consecutive three-pointers. Despite key players De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis picking up their fourth fouls and sitting out, the Lakers couldn’t fully close the gap, heading into the fourth quarter trailing 87-83.

Rui Hachimura, who had a slow start to the season, came alive with two crucial three-pointers early in the fourth quarter, giving the Lakers their first lead of the game. They even built a five-point advantage before the return of De’Aaron Fox, who promptly completed a vital three-point play for the Kings.

Fox later rolled his ankle, briefly leaving the game but returning to sink a three-pointer, matching a shot made by LeBron James on the previous possession. The Lakers struggled with their shooting, missing seven consecutive shots and falling behind by six points before LeBron ended the drought with a dunk.

Anthony Davis tied the game with a putback dunk in the final minute, but a late foul by Gabe Vincent allowed De’Aaron Fox to make two critical free throws. LeBron drove for an easy layup, tying the game with 13 seconds remaining and setting up one final possession for the Kings. Keegan Murray’s missed three-pointer forced the game into overtime.

Malik Monk had a standout performance in overtime, scoring nine quick points for the Kings to build a four-point lead. Despite a late push by LeBron James with five points, Kevin Huerter’s crucial three-pointer put the Kings back up by five in the final minute. This lead proved insurmountable for the Lakers, who couldn’t complete the comeback.