For the first time in six games, the Lakers were back on the road and faced a familiar foe in the form of the Sacramento Kings. L.A. was outscored 70-42 in the paint and finished 16-24 from the charity stripe. The lack of interior scoring, missed free throws, and a dominating third quarter by the Kings ended up being the difference in the game, as the Lakers (21-21) slip back to .500 and lose 125-116.
In back-to-back games the Lakers found themselves trying to make a late comeback, but it was all for naught on both occasions as the Kings were able to hit some clutch shots late and avoid the letdown.