The Los Angeles Lakers ended their 2025-26 preseason schedule on Friday with a game against the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena. For three quarters and change, coach JJ Redick used something that looked like a regular-season rotation, and they looked good, at least on the offensive end, during that time.
Los Angeles led by as many as 11 points and was still up by five points midway through the fourth quarter when most of the regulars exited the game. But Redick’s last group of five men wasn’t able to protect that lead, as L.A. ended up losing 117-116 on a foul committed by Nick Smith Jr. with 0.8 seconds to go.
As one would expect, Luka Doncic looked excellent, but two Lakers role players also performed well, which is a bright spot when one considers what it will take for the team to take a step forward and become a legitimate championship contender.
Gabe Vincent
Vincent shot the basketball very well during the preseason, and on Friday, he ended the exhibition schedule with a bang.
He shot 5-of-6 from the field and 4-of-5 from 3-point range, including three 3-pointers without a miss in the second quarter. In 23 minutes, he scored 14 points and added two assists and one steal.
Vincent has been semi-unplayable at times in the past because his outside shooting has been wildly inconsistent. But his play this month could be a sign that he has turned the corner in that department. If he has, it could earn him more playing time, and that is something that would help Los Angeles because he is a solid and gritty defender.
Marcus Smart
Smart only played in two of L.A.’s six preseason games, but on Friday, he looked fairly impressive, and his impact was easily felt.
Although he went just 2-of-8 from 3-point land, he was a decent 5-of-11 overall from the field, giving him 14 points, to go along with three rebounds and two assists, in 23 minutes. He did a good job of advancing the ball upcourt quickly in order to try to create pace.
But the defensive end is obviously where Smart will help the most. He notched four steals and hustled after 50/50 balls, and he was the team’s only bench player who didn’t post a negative number in the plus/minus category. He also had just one turnover — as a team, L.A. protected the ball well and committed only nine turnovers.
If Marcus Smart consistently contributes in a positive manner on the offensive end, he should make a major impact on the team.
Luka Doncic
In his second preseason contest this year, Doncic again looked to be in regular-season form. He made half of his 16 shot attempts and went 6-of-11 from downtown, and he finished with 31 points, nine assists, five rebounds, one steal and one block in 32 minutes.
He’s playing the game with his trademark joy, and he seems to be in a very good place mentally and emotionally.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Three studs from Lakers’ final preseason game on Friday
