Here is what you need to know before the Lakers conclude seeding games against the Sacramento Kings.
1) Kuz Control in effect
Yeah, that Kuz dude is pretty clutch.
On the final possession of Monday’s win over Denver, Kyle Kuzma cancelled everyone’s plans for overtime by draining a last-second, game-winning 3-pointer off a perfect play by Frank Vogel. Oh, and Kuz knew what he was about to do, telling rookie Talen Horton-Tucker that he was about to call game.
Kuzma — who put up 25 points against the Nuggets — came ready for the season restart, averaging 15.4 points on 46.3% shooting during seeding games. And he’s been the Lakers’ much-needed best shooter in Orlando, hitting 44.4% of his triples (up a whopping 12.7% from before the hiatus).
2) Guess who’s coming to hoop
With the Lakers wrapping up the No. 1 seed in the West just three games into the restart, that gave Vogel plenty of time to experiment with his lineups.
Now, in the Lakers’ final regular-season game, expect more of the same with minimal minutes for the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Instead, look for potentially extended playing time for the likes of Horton-Tucker, who has been solid in his limited Orlando minutes, averaging 6.7 points on 8-of-14 shooting in his three games.
3) Season finale for Sacramento
The Kings will be heading back to California after this game, as they missed the playoffs with a 2-5 record in the restart. But they’re certainly capable of taking a W against a Lakers team prioritizing postseason health over an extra regular-season win.
De’Aaron Fox, who missed Sacramento’s last game, has been an offense unto himself, using his high-octane game to average 26.2 points and 7.3 assists in Orlando.
Meanwhile, the Lakers should keep extra eyes on Buddy Hield, who averages the NBA’s third-most 3-pointers (3.7) and Nemanja Bjelica, who leads all bigs in 3-point percentage (42.1%), to avoid an onslaught from beyond the arc.
Tip-Off: 10:30 a.m. PT
TV: Spectrum SportsNet
Radio: 710 ESPN and 1330 Tu Liga
Location: The Field House — Orlando, Florida