The Sacramento Kings have split their first two games of the season, losing their opener by four points then bouncing back to win their second outing by one. The Kings have yet to truly impress anyone this season, although there have been some glimpses of a legitimate basketball team in Sacramento.
The Kings are very far from competing in the grueling Western Conference, but by taking it one game at a time, they can contend with any opponent on any given night. On Sunday, the Kings are hosting the Los Angeles Lakers, and while this would typically be a star-studded affair, the Lakers are playing without LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
Luckily for the Kings, the injury bug is not hitting them as hard.
Sure, the Kings will be without Keegan Murray (left thumb) and Nique Clifford (right hamstring) on Sunday night, but there was growing concern that they would also have to play without star guard Zach LaVine, who was listed as questionable due to an illness.
Just a couple of hours before tip-off, however, the Kings upgraded LaVine’s status to AVAILABLE for Sunday’s matchup against the Lakers.
MEDICAL UPDATE vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 10/26
Zach LaVine (Illness) – AVAILABLE
Nique Clifford (Right Hamstring Strain) – OUT
Keegan Murray (Left Thumb UCL Surgery Recovery) – OUT
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) October 26, 2025
The Kings desperately need LaVine to play, even though the star guard is battling an illness. Through the first two games of the season, LaVine has averaged a team-high 30.5 points while shooting 54.8% from the field. The Kings’ offense has been fairly underwhelming early into their 2025-26 campaign, and without LaVine, they likely would have been lost.
The Kings will likely go with their same starting lineup as last game, with Dennis Schroder, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Isaac Jones, and Domantas Sabonis, although a change at the power forward position is possible.
Oct 24, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine (8) controls the ball against the Utah Jazz during the second quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
The Lakers should still give the Kings a good fight on Sunday night, especially with how Sacramento typically struggles against teams they should beat, but LaVine being active should certainly help them avoid an upset.
If LaVine can continue the tear he has been on through two games, he should undoubtedly be in the conversation to be an All-Star this year for the first time since 2021-22, although we cannot overreact about this small sample size. Of course, another strong performance on Sunday against the big-market Lakers would give fans more reason to talk, but just getting him on the floor after some initial doubt should be good enough to help the Kings pull out a win.
The Kings and Lakers are facing off at 6:00 p.m. PT on Sunday night in Sacramento.
