Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves Click Again as Lakers Edge Kings 114-110 in Preseason, JJ Redick Explains Why

LOS ANGELES — It took exactly one possession for Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to remind the home crowd why the Los Angeles Lakers are building around them.

On the first play of Thursday night's preseason game against the Sacramento Kings, Reaves found Doncic cutting to the basket, and the Slovenian star scored while drawing a foul. The connection set the tone for a 114-110 Lakers victory at Crypto.com Arena, the first exhibition game this fall in which the two guards shared the floor.

Doncic finished with 23 points on 6-of-16 shooting in 25 minutes. Reaves, playing in his first preseason game after sitting out the first two, also logged 25 minutes and had eight points on 2-of-7 shooting, along with eight assists and five rebounds.

Sandro Mamukelashvili added 19 points for the Lakers.

Chemistry on display

The box score did not fully capture the rhythm between the two guards, who form one of the most dynamic offensive backcourts in the NBA.

Doncic delivered the highlight of the night in the second quarter, burying a one-legged 3-pointer from 31 feet after a pass from Mamukelashvili. Late in the same quarter, Reaves froze Kings guard Emanuel Sharp with a hesitation dribble before gliding along the baseline for an uncontested layup.

Doncic also picked up a technical foul with 6:48 left in the third quarter.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said the partnership works because the two players genuinely enjoy sharing the court.

"I think there's good chemistry with each other," Redick said. "I think it's just the natural way they like each other. They like playing together. I think having them together means there's automatically two ballhandlers on the court. I think that's like an underrated part of the NBA now ... having two-to-three ballhandlers on the floor at all times."

A rebuilt roster takes shape

The preseason carries more weight than usual for the Lakers, who enter the 2026-27 season with a dramatically different look. Every player who started the team's final playoff game last spring, including LeBron James, has since left the organization.

The new-look roster is built around Doncic and a re-signed Reaves, along with newcomers such as center Walker Kessler, who arrived from the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade.

Thursday's win was the Lakers' second over Sacramento in four days. In the preseason opener Monday at Golden 1 Center, Los Angeles routed the Kings 127-103 behind a quick burst from Doncic, who scored 21 points on 5-of-12 shooting in under 16 minutes before resting for the night. Reaves and Kessler both sat out that game with minor injuries.

Mamukelashvili has been one of the more encouraging early signs. He contributed eight points, five assists and two steals off the bench in the opener before his 19-point outing Thursday.

The Lakers have also emphasized defense in camp, with Redick establishing a competitive tone from the first day. The team opened training camp with a message that playing time would be earned, with Redick describing the environment as a meritocracy.

Injury update

Several Lakers did not play Thursday.

Kessler and guard Collin Sexton each missed their third straight preseason game, while forward Ziaire Williams sat out for the second consecutive game. Rookie Cameron Carr, Dalton Knecht and Arthur Kaluma also did not play.

Kessler, the team's prized offseason acquisition at center, has been nursing a finger injury he sustained after hitting the backboard during practice. Redick downplayed concerns about the big man's availability.

"We've got to check in tomorrow. ... It's not concerning. He'll play in the preseason," Redick said.

Redick said Williams had "some soreness, but it's not anything that we're concerned about."

Kessler's absence has given other big men extended opportunities, but the Lakers are eager to see how the 7-footer fits alongside Doncic and Reaves before the regular season begins. His rim protection and rebounding are expected to be central to the team's defensive identity.

Kings searching for answers

For Sacramento, the back-to-back losses offered an early look at a roster still finding its footing. The Kings got 24 minutes from Maxime Raynaud in the opener, with Domantas Sabonis playing limited minutes in that game.

Sharp, who was on the wrong end of Reaves' highlight move Thursday, logged 30 minutes and had seven points and two steals in Monday's loss.

Off-court backdrop

The Lakers' on-court progress comes amid ongoing turmoil over the franchise's ownership. Jeanie Buss' siblings this week filed a formal opposition to her attempt to block the sale of the team, a dispute that has drawn attention away from the basketball side of the organization.

On the floor, however, the focus remains on how quickly the new pieces can come together. With Doncic and Reaves finally sharing the court, Thursday's game offered the clearest glimpse yet of the offense the Lakers hope will carry them through the season.

What's next

The Lakers' preseason schedule consists of five games, with the Kings and Golden State Warriors each appearing twice, including the team's annual preseason trip to Las Vegas to face Golden State. The Denver Nuggets close out the exhibition slate.

Redick and his staff will use the remaining tune-ups to settle the rotation, get Kessler, Sexton and Williams back on the floor and give Doncic and Reaves more time together before the games start to count.

If Thursday's opening play was any indication, the two guards will not need much time to find each other.

Note: All quotes are Redick's, from the Los Angeles Times report you supplied. I didn't find a Kings box score for Thursday, so the article doesn't name Sacramento's leading scorer; add that if you can get it.