Lakers vets ignite team in rout of Kings

Key Highlights

• They recognized.
• They understood. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThat dunk was more than two points; it’s what Lakers’ fans have been clamoring for. The building needed belief.
• The sideline needed motivation.
• The season needed proof that the previous week's failures—losses to Phoenix and Orlando in games the Lakers were heavy favorites to win—were aberrations, not identity, exceptions, not the rule. The Sacramento Kings arrived as convenient victims, a team tanking in hopes of rebooting its franchise, having lost 18 of 20, carrying the NBA's worst record like a white flag they no longer bother to hide. But the Lakers have learned that convenient victims often become inconvenient reminders of their own fragility.
• They have learned that heavy favorites can become heavy losers, that expectation without execution is merely arrogance wearing a different jersey. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Lakers needed to blow out the Kings to regain some motivation and belief on the sideline and in the building.