Luka Doncic scored 40 points for the third straight game, and the Los Angeles Lakers pulled away in the second half to beat the Sacramento Kings 116-103 on Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center.
Doncic keeps the streak going
Doncic finished with 40 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, shooting 11 of 23 from the field and 6 of 13 from three-point range, according to the Associated Press. It was his third consecutive 40-point game and his fifth of the season, Reuters reported, and he leads the league in scoring at 38.5 points per game. He has reached 40 points in five of the Lakers’ nine games this season. Austin Reaves added 21 points for Los Angeles. Sacramento actually started faster, scoring 13 of the game’s first 18 points, and the first quarter ended tied at 28. From there, the Lakers took control, leading by as many as 16 points in the third quarter.
Sacramento fights, but the hole is too deep
The Kings got a breakout night from rookie Darius Acuff Jr., who finished with 22 points and 11 assists, and they refused to let the game end early. Los Angeles led 100-85 with 6:21 to play, but Sacramento cut the margin to 101-94 with 4:07 left. That was as close as it got. The Lakers steadied, rebuilt the lead at the free throw line and closed out a 13-point win.
What it means for both teams
The Lakers improved to 7-2, near the top of the Western Conference, and their formula is becoming clear: Doncic bends every defense out of shape, and the rest of the roster plays off the space he creates. Wednesday’s other Texas thriller, San Antonio’s 112-111 win over Dallas, showed the other end of the West’s star power. For Sacramento, the numbers are grim: 1-7 overall and 0-3 at home, with a seven-game homestand that was supposed to reset the season starting instead with another loss. A rookie playing like Acuff did is a genuine bright spot, but the Kings need wins, not bright spots, and the schedule does not soften: San Antonio, fresh off Wembanyama’s 52-point night in Dallas, visits on Friday. For now, the story in Sacramento is the same one Los Angeles keeps writing on the road: stop Doncic, or lose.
Sources: Reuters and the Associated Press game reports, November 4-5, 2026, with supporting details from NBC Sports Bay Area and the ESPN box score.