Lakers @ Kings

Who will WIN this matchup?

Los Angeles Lakers (20-14)

@ Sacramento Kings (18-15)

Current odds:

Los Angeles Lakers: (+160)

Sacramento Kings: (-180)

• The line for this game is Sacramento by 4.5 points.

• LeBron James will miss his first game of the season when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Sacramento Kings on Thursday. The star forward suffered a strained left groin in the Lakers’ rout of the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day and is listed by the club as day-to-day. James felt relieved that Wednesday’s MRI exam didn’t detect a more serious injury – ‘Dodged a bullet!’ he tweeted in part – and the decision was reached to leave him behind in Los Angeles to rest his injury. James was hurt in the third quarter of the 127-101 trouncing of the Warriors and Lakers coach Luke Walton said that the Lakers won’t rush James back to action. “Obviously, we want him back soon as possible,” Walton told reporters, “but we also will be very cautious when we bring him back.”

• Sacramento’s next two games are against the Lakers after dropping a 127-118 road decision to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.

• Point guard Rajon Rondo also will miss the contest after spraining his right ring finger against Golden State. Rondo had 15 points and 10 assists without a turnover for his fourth double-double of the season before departing with his second injury of the campaign to his right hand. Rondo was playing in his third contest since returning from a 17-game absence because of a broken right hand, and Lonzo Ball will again carry the load again in his absence.

• Shooting guard Buddy Hield’s hot streak reached a temporary halt when he scored 11 points on 4-of-18 shooting – including misses on all six 3-point attempts – in the loss to the Clippers. Hield had scored 20 or more points in 10 of the previous 11 games while going 53-for-112 from 3-point range before being stymied by the Los Angeles defenders. Hield has failed to make a 3-pointer twice this season and the other occasion was also against the Clippers when he was 0-for-7 on Nov. 29.

• James scored 25 points as the Lakers posted a 101-86 victory in Sacramento on Nov. 10.

• Sacramento PG De’Aaron Fox is averaging 20 points and 10 assists over the past four games.

• Los Angeles C Ivica Zubac had two double-doubles in the past three games and is averaging 17.7 points and 8.7 rebounds while making 25-of-32 field-goal attempts during the stretch.