The Los Angeles Lakers ended their preseason run with a loss, as they bowed to the Sacramento Kings 117-116, despite another strong effort from superstar guard Luka Doncic.
Doncic — who had a 27-7-5 stat line during his preseason debut against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday — finished with 31 points on 8-of-16 shooting, along with five rebounds, nine assists, one steal and one block.
It looked like the Lakers had forced overtime when Dalton Knecht tied the game at 116-116 with nine seconds left. Unfortunately, a last-second foul from Nick Smith Jr. sent the Kings to the free throw line to sink the game-winner.
While it’s unfortunate the Lakers couldn’t end the preseason on a good note, there were more pressing concerns for the Purple and Gold after the game. Backup center Jaxson Hayes suffered a wrist injury early in the contest and had to be ruled out, raising concerns about his availability with the NBA season starting in just a few days.
Hayes played just eight minutes, tallying six points, four rebounds and one steal. Hayes was subbed out mid-way through the second quarter and did not return.
After the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick addressed Hayes’ injury and revealed that the x-ray results were negative. However, L.A. is expected to provide more updates about his injury and status on Sunday, per Mark Medina of Athlon Sports.
Sure enough, hopes are high that Hayes won’t need to be sidelined to start the season. After all, the last thing the Lakers need is another injury, as superstar forward LeBron James is also hurt and expected to be out until mid-November due to sciatica, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. The Lakers play the Golden State Warriors in the season opener. Hayes, who started 35 games for L.A. after the Anthony Davis trade last campaign, is set to be the main backup to Deandre Ayton this 2025.
