Dalton Knecht Injury Update: JJ Redick announces latest after Lakers rookie brutally slams his head on the floorÂ
Lakers coach JJ Redick provided a crucial injury update on rookie Dalton Knecht after Friday's 131-126 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Knecht fell on the floor head-first after his hands slipped off the rim on a two-handed jam in the fourth quarter. The first-round pick seemingly grimaced in pain before he got up and continued playing.
It was one of the most concerning situations during the game, one that had Redick rush to the floor to check up on Knecht during a timeout.
However, the Lakers coach revealed that Knecht was all right and that he didn't hurt himself much.
"His back and head apparently are okay," Redick said.
The Lakers were already missing four starters and six rotation players, including Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent. Losing Knecht to a potential long-term injury could have been a brutal blow for the Lakers, who have slumped to four straight losses because of injuries.
Dalton Knecht gets candid on injury scare and Lakers' resiliency
Dalton Knecht echoed JJ Redick's comments about his injury scare, saying he "felt good." It wasn't a significant blow, and he will get some treatment on his back on Saturday. Knecht said he "cramped" in that area after the hard fall, confirming that he slipped on his way down after the dunk that put the Lakers up three in the clutch.
Knecht's second 30-point game of the season was one of the main reasons why the Lakers stood a chance in this game. He had 32 on 13 of 27 shots as he optimized his license on offense after his "vet," Austin Reaves, gave him the green light to take as many attempts as possible. Reaves also followed that in LeBron James and Luka Doncic's absence, tallying 37 points, eight rebounds, and 13 assists on 13 of 26 shots.
The duo combined for 9 3-pointers. The Lakers ultimately lost this contest on the final two possessions after staying right in it against a fully healthy Denver team until then. Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic bailed the Nuggets out, with Murray hitting a go-ahead 3-pointer on the second-last possession.