West Notes: Lakers, LeBron James, Kings, DeMar DeRozan, Jazz

Lakers

As you know, Lakers star LeBron James played in the 1,612th regular-season game of his career on Saturday, setting an NBA record and passing Hall of Fame center Robert Parish.

But it wasn’t exactly something James had circled.

“It’s not like I’m like writing things down and looking at the record book and saying, ‘I’m going to get that, I’m going to get that, I’m going to get that,’” James said, via Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “It just kind of happened. It was not on the list of things that I wanted to accomplish.”

The longevity is what stands out as much as anything. James has long taken pride in being available, something he says comes down to preparation as much as anything.

“I’ve always kind of just prided myself on trying to be as available as possible in my career to my teammates,” he said. “Going out on the floor every night and keeping my body intact.”

Kings

The Kings are finding ways to win. Staying healthy is another matter.

Sacramento has won five of its last eight, including a weekend victory over Brooklyn, but took a couple more hits along the way.

Rookie Nique Clifford left in the fourth quarter after twisting his ankle. Guard Killian Hayes, who has been starting at point guard, also exited with a toe injury.

“Man, it sucks, especially for the young guys because you want them to be out there playing,” DeMar DeRozan said, via Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “You want them to get as many reps and experience as possible, and to see them go down, it definitely sucks. Hopefully, it’s nothing too serious.”

Jazz

The Jazz are giving Bez Mbeng another look.

Utah signed the former Yale standout to a second 10-day contract after he showed enough in his initial stint. Mbeng has appeared in five games, including one start, and is averaging 4.8 points, 4.2 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals.

The minutes have been there, too. He logged 45 against Philadelphia over the weekend, finishing with 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

Mbeng built his reputation on defense, earning Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year honors three straight times in college. He also took home Player of the Year in his final season.

If the Jazz want to keep him beyond this deal, they’ll have to make it official with a standard contract.