Luka Dončić and Sandro Mamukelashvili lead Lakers to 114-110 preseason win over Kings

Austin Reaves returned to the lineup as Los Angeles posted its second win over Sacramento in preseason action Thursday.

By The Apex Times Newsroom3 min readAI-assisted Apex article

The Los Angeles Lakers’ preseason success against the Sacramento Kings continued Thursday, as the Lakers won 114-110 to record their second victory over Sacramento in this early-season series. Luka Dončić and Sandro Mamukelashvili were highlighted for their scoring output in the game, helping Los Angeles separate from the Kings late in the contest, according to Yahoo Sports’ recap.

The matchup also carried a lineup storyline for Lakers fans. Austin Reaves was back in the lineup for Los Angeles, and the move mattered for how the Lakers could test combinations in front of their home crowd and in live-game situations. Reaves’ presence added another familiar ball-handler and two-way contributor to the rotation, giving Los Angeles another look at how its standard offensive sets might operate against a quality opponent.

Dončić’s impact was central to the Lakers’ offensive rhythm. In Yahoo Sports’ account, his scoring night set the tone for stretches in which the Lakers were able to create pressure and force Sacramento into defensive adjustments. Even in preseason, games against a playoff-tested opponent like the Kings often reveal how quickly a team’s top initiators can create scoring opportunities and maintain efficiency.

Mamukelashvili’s role also stood out. Yahoo Sports described his performance as one of the key reasons Los Angeles stayed in control, with the big wing/forward using his touches inside and around the paint to complement Dončić’s shot creation. For a Lakers team balancing development and evaluation, a strong outing from a frontcourt option like Mamukelashvili is a reminder of how much leverage size and spacing can provide once a defense starts respecting perimeter threats.

From Sacramento’s perspective, the loss still served as another evaluation step. Preseason games are often less about polishing a final identity and more about answering questions across rotations, matching lineups, and building continuity for regular-season matchups. Against the Lakers, the Kings were able to test their ability to defend a multi-creator attack and then respond when the Lakers tightened play near the end.

With the Lakers’ second win over Sacramento in the preseason, the takeaway is less about standings and more about trajectory. Los Angeles is using these games to map out the flow of possessions with its leading pieces on the floor, while also identifying which role players can provide steady production when the primary options are resting. The next step is to see whether the same offensive structure and bench-forward contributions carry over as preseason minutes shift to other combinations.

As with any preseason recap, it is important to treat the immediate details as part of a broader evaluation process rather than as a definitive preview of the regular season. Still, Thursday’s result reinforced that Los Angeles can generate scoring on multiple levels, and that when key contributors like Dončić and Reaves are available, the Lakers’ offense looks more complete.

Why It Matters

Early preseason head-to-head results are not title predictors, but they can show whether a team’s core can execute against playoff-level opponents.
Reaves’ return gave the Lakers another look at how their half-court creation and spacing can function with the backcourt’s familiar pieces.
Dončić’s role in the win highlights how central offensive organization around a primary initiator can be for Los Angeles’ identity.
Strong frontcourt production from Mamukelashvili provides insurance for matchup-based rotations as the Lakers refine their regular-season lineup.
For Sacramento, the loss functions as another data point on how well its defense adjusts to multiple scoring threats when key creators are on the floor.

Sources

Key Facts

The Lakers defeated the Kings 114-110 in Thursday’s preseason game, according to Yahoo Sports.
Los Angeles earned its second preseason win over Sacramento.
Luka Dončić and Sandro Mamukelashvili were credited with major scoring performances in the recap.
Austin Reaves returned to the Lakers’ lineup for the game, per Yahoo Sports.
The game was played in a preseason setting, meaning rotation and lineup experimentation were part of the purpose.