Sports
'Can't skip details': Lakers left to look for solutions after another loss to Kings
It’s hard to know the gravity of this, the Lakers being on the wrong side of dominance from another team that seems to know exactly where the weakest points are in the Lakers’ defensive plans.
In Wednesday’s 120-107 loss in Sacramento, there was a mix of disappointment and calm inside the Lakers’ locker room at the Kings’ arena.
Players like Anthony Davis lamented the two biggest reasons for the loss — turnovers and Sacramento’s offensive rebounding. Others pointed to the breakdowns that allowed Harrison Barnes to make seven of the Kings’ 19 three-pointers.
“There’s nothing we can do about this game now besides watch and learn from our mistakes and what we can do to be better, especially in that third quarter,” Austin Reaves said. “Seventeen points, something had to get stagnant with our offense. But, I don’t think the vibe in the locker room really changed. It’s not like we hate each other now. You flip the page, got to figure out what we’ve got to do to be successful moving forward.”
There wasn’t any outward table-flipping anger Wednesday despite the circumstances. The Lakers had a practice and a shootaround to prepare for the Kings because of a scheduling break that had them with two days off before and after the game in Sacramento.
“It makes us even more comfortable to pour everything — our mind, body and spirits — into tonight,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said pregame.
But it never really looked like it, particularly from the Lakers’ stars. Davis continued to lose his battles with Domantas Sabonis, an issue exacerbated as Davis missed a ton of point-blank shots. LeBron James didn’t show much juice until the fourth quarter, and his play in the third — one for six from the field with three turnovers — stagnated the Lakers’ offense and ignited the Kings.
“One of the things I just told them: Can’t skip details. We had some guys that didn’t shoot the ball well, got great looks they normally make. But just in the sense of team basketball, just continuing to have a next-play mentality,” Ham said after the loss. “You turn the ball over or it’s a quick shot or … our shot selection is a little bit off, you have to recalibrate and try to play the right way. And again, do it as a unit, not just individually trying to get yourself going. If you’re trying to get yourself going, then we’re staying organized within what we’re supposed to be doing, then great. But we can’t skip the details.”
There was some regression from the past, the Lakers stars failing to keep Reaves and Rui Hachimura, who both were hot, primarily involved in their offense, especially in the third.
Hachimura took just one shot in the second half — a three-pointer. And Reaves, who scored 19 points in the first half, got just two shots in the third quarter.
Asked if the Lakers could’ve done more to get Hachimura involved, D’Angelo Russell declined to answer.
“Yeah, I’d rather not go there with it. It’s a good game for Rui,” he said.
The Lakers largely addressed some of the issues that had cost them against the Kings in earlier meetings — the defense adjusting coverages to keep De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk from comfortably attacking the same looks over and over.
But that wasn’t enough, a reminder that some of these flaws could end up being fatal.
There’s the Lakers’ point-of-attack defense problem, where, despite solid play from Reaves over the past month-plus, the Lakers have struggled with Jarred Vanderbilt sidelined. Gabe Vincent’s recent clearance to on-court, noncontact work could eventually give the team a boost, even if there’s going to be limited time for him to get into rhythm and establish a consistent place in Ham’s rotation.
Players have hinted optimistically that both Vanderbilt and Vincent could be back soon, but with only 15 games left in the regular season, there should be real concerns about their impact.
There was familiarity in the result Wednesday, another team spreading the Lakers wide, another team hitting a barrage of open threes and feasting on the glass, another team forcing the Lakers to play consistently at a level that they were unable to reach.
“Kryptonite,” one player said on the way out of the locker room.
And the Lakers have to wonder if it’s just the Kings or symptoms of larger, unfixable problems.
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Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley sounded off on the frenzied reactions to the U.S. men’s hockey team getting invited to the White House by President Donald Trump.
Trump talked to the Olympic gold medal-winning team immediately after they defeated Canada in overtime last weekend. He said they would be invited to his State of the Union address and added that he needed to invite the women’s team as well or he would be “impeached.”
Charles Barkley sits courtside against the Minnesota Timberwolves during an NBA Cup game at Mortgage Matchup Center on Nov. 21, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
Trump critics took the joke as a shot at the women’s team, which sparked questions from NHL and Professional Women’s Hockey League reporters as the players returned to their respective club teams.
“I’m proud of the United States men. I’m proud of the United States women. You should have invited both of them to the White House, but it shouldn’t have been disrespect, misogyny,” Barkley said on the “Steam Room” podcast. “Like, yo, man, why do y’all have to mess everything up? Everything isn’t Democrat, Republican, conservative, liberal. That’s why we got this divided, screwed up country. Stop it man. Because, you know, the public, they’re idiots. They’re fools. They can’t think for themselves. I know y’all say stuff to trigger them. Y’all say stuff and y’all know they’re going to be fools.”
Barkley lamented that the average person would get riled up over the supposed controversy.
The U.S. team poses for a group photo after defeating Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Milan, Italy, on Feb. 22, 2026. (Luca Bruno/AP Photo)
“We don’t have to fall for stupidity. But we do – that’s my point. These people out here are stupid. They need something to trigger them. Just because they want us to be stupid. We don’t have to be stupid. He should have invited both teams to the White House. Simple as that. Guys who didn’t want to go shouldn’t have to explain why they didn’t go.”
The former Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns star made clear he would go to the White House regardless of whether Trump was in office.
“I’ve said this before, I’m not a Trump guy. But if I got invited to the White House, I would go. I’m not a Trump guy – I want to make that clear. But I respect the office,” Barkley said. “He’s the president of the United States. But if guys don’t want to go, I understand that too. It doesn’t have to be a talking point. It doesn’t have to be un-American.
Megan Keller (5) celebrates with a flag alongside Cayla Barnes (3) of Team United States after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime during the women’s gold medal match against Canada on Day 13 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 19, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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“I just wish y’all would stop falling for the stupidity.”
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Three years ago, as a 14-year-old freshman, Slava Shahbazyan made it to Bakersfield for the state wrestling championships.
“It was good to get experience that young,” he said.
Then came Saturday night when he had a breakthrough moment, winning the state 165-pound championship as a 17-year-old senior for Birmingham High.
“It means everything to me,” he said. “It took four years.”
Shahbazyan, who transferred from Chaminade after his sophomore year, is set to attend Stanford and still in the hunt to be valedictorian at Birmingham. Coach Jimmy Medeiros said he was close to winning last season before finishing fourth.
“He got a lot better,” Medeiros said.
Shahbazyan has been wrestling since he was 8. “My father loves wrestling,” he said.
Two St. John Bosco wrestlers, Jesse Grajeda at 144 pounds and Michael Romero at 150 pounds, also won state titles.
Here’s the link to complete results.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
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Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Dominiq Ponder died this weekend, the team’s head coach Deion Sanders confirmed on Sunday with a social media post.
“God please comfort the Ponder family, friends and loved ones,” Sanders wrote on social media. “Dom was one of my favorites! He was Loved, Respected & a Born Leader. Let’s pray for all that knew him & had the opportunity to be in his presence. Lord you’re receiving a good 1. Comfort us Lord Comfort us.”
Ponder was 23 years old.
Details of Ponder’s death are not yet known.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his team warm up before an NCAA college football game against TCU Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas. (Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo)
Ponder, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound signal caller, joined the Buffaloes and “Coach Prime’s” program in 2024 after spending time at Bethune-Cookman before making his way to Boulder.
Last season, Ponder played just two games for the Buffaloes while serving in his backup role. He recorded two rush attempts and one pass attempt.
The Opa Locka, Fla., native also received tribute from a fellow quarterback with the Buffaloes, Colton Allen.
Bethune-Cookman QB Dominiq Ponder takes a snap during the Wildcats’ spring game Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Daytona Stadium. (IMAGN)
“Dom, you were a blessing to so many people,” Allen wrote on Instagram. “You had a presence about you that just made everything better. You brought so much joy to me and everyone around you. I’m grateful for every lift, every practice, every rep, every conversation we got to share. I’ll carry those with me for the rest of my life.”
Ponder was going to be a part of Colorado’s spring practices, which are set to begin on Monday. It’s unknown if Sanders will postpone the start due to Ponder’s passing.
Ponder also received a tribute from the University of Central Florida.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his players warm up before an NCAA college football game against Utah, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (Tyler Tate/AP Photo)
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“Our prayers are with Dominiq and the Ponder family along with all in the Colorado football program,” the university’s football account on X wrote.
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