Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves lead the LeBron-less Lakers to victory

The Lakers and JJ Redick were sure that the goal would come.

Sacramento was plunged into utter chaos when the Lakers dropped two straight games to the Kings in their building last week – links in the chain of events that led to the Kings firing coach Mike Brown en route to flying to LA

Beating the Kings for the fourth time this season would be difficult; An upheaval like a coaching change would certainly send Sacramento flying around the court like the turbo button was stuck.

The Lakers would have to react, meeting power with power and speed with speed – and without LeBron James, who was homesick.

But just as they found a way out on Christmas when Anthony Davis was sidelined with an ankle injury, the Lakers did it again on Saturday with a 132-122 win, spoiling former Lakers player (and rival) Doug Christie’s first game as a quarterback Kings interim coach.

Austin Reaves, who scored the game-winning goal against the Warriors on Christmas, orchestrated the offense without James, scoring 26 points and dishing out a career-best 16 assists. Davis, back on the court after just seven minutes on Wednesday, dominated his match, with Domantas Sabonis scoring 36 points (on just 16 shots) and grabbing 15 rebounds and eight assists. And Rui Hachimura needed just 11 shots to score his 21 points, while giving the Lakers the kind of physicality and activity on the wing they need on both sides of the basketball.

Sabonis scored 14 points before exiting in 26 minutes. De’Aaron Fox had 29 points and 12 assists and DeMar DeRozan finished the game with 25 points for the Kings (13-19).

The Lakers (18-13) led by as many as 20 points after a dominant third quarter in which they outscored the Kings 42-24.

The Lakers shot season highs at 59.7% from the field and 53.8% from three-pointers.

Aside from not really worrying about James and his illness, more help is coming.

Jaxson Hayes, who has missed the last 14 games with a sprained ankle, is expected to return Tuesday against first-place Cleveland.