Five things we learned in the Lakers’ loss to the Sacramento Kings on Friday night:
1) Is anybody safe? Ronnie Price left three minutes into the game after banging knees with Kings point guard Darren Collison while taking a charge. Wayne Ellington left in the fourth quarter with a concussion after colliding with Kings guard Ben McLemore. It led to the phrase that Lakers fans hate: The players will be evaluated again Saturday.
2) Julius Randle had a rough stretch late in the second quarter. He was called for an offensive foul — and drew some disapproving words from Kings center DeMarcus Cousins — after delivering an elbow to Rudy Gay’s face while dribbling downcourt. On the Lakers’ next possession, Randle was called for a moving screen that knocked down Ramon Sessions. He took a seat on the bench with four fouls.
3) Randle had a solid game otherwise. He had 12 points and nine rebounds and even added three assists.
4) Take Jeremy Lin if it’s about two-thirds through your fantasy basketball draft and you need assists, points and three-pointers. With Steve Nash sidelined and rookie Jordan Clarkson not ready yet, Lin will get a lot of minutes this season. He had 19 points, including two three-pointers, and seven assists Friday.
5) Who really cared about the game, though? Boxing champion Floyd Mayweather caused a minor riot by going a few rows into the crowd and signing autographs at halftime. And Janie Buss Drexel, one of the Lakers’ co-owners, raised a few eyebrows by enthusiastically kissing her companion during the “Kiss Cam” portion of a second-quarter timeout. Hey, whatever happens in Vegas …
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