Dalton Knecht reveals LeBron James and Anthony Davis' message before OT barrage
Dalton Knecht had a heroic performance for the LA Lakers on Thursday, scoring 35 points, including an incredible 20 straight in crunch time and overtime, leading his team to a 128-122 victory over the Phoenix Suns. He scored seven consecutive points to force overtime, including a clutch 3-pointer, and then added 13 more in overtime to shock the Suns.
After the game, Knecht revealed that Lakers veterans LeBron James and Anthony Davis encouraged him to take over in overtime. James missed the game, while Davis, who finished with 35 points and 10 rebounds, sat out the late stages after logging nearly 34 minutes.
Dalton Knecht said (per ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin):
“Bron and AD said, ‘It’s time,’ so it was just time to take over. And shout out to my teammates, they were looking for me.”
He also said his confidence surged after hitting the clutch shot over Bol Bol to force overtime.
“I would say I fully took over after I hit the first one on Bol Bol,” he said. “I felt good. And then I just kept shooting overtime shots, I felt good.”
Selected 17th overall by the Lakers in this year’s NBA draft after a strong final year at Tennessee, Knecht has called joining the Lakers a "blessing in disguise," given the chance to play alongside and learn from James and Davis.
Knecht, who split his college years between Northern Colorado and Tennessee, averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists in his final season with the Volunteers, earning consensus first-team All-American honors.
Speaking about LeBron’s impact, even though "The King" didn't play against the Suns, Knecht said:
“It's Bron. He's one of the greatest to ever do it, so I’m just trying to just learn from him as much as I can.”
Dalton Knecht made a strong impression in the Summer League, where he averaged 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, shooting 39.1% from 3-point range.
JJ Redick praises Dalton Knecht for ‘supernatural’ performance
Lakers coach JJ Redick praised his rookie after his standout performance that led the team to victory. Redick recalled a pregame conversation with TNT announcer Reggie Miller, where he emphasized the rookie's elite shooting ability.
“Reggie [Miller] and I were talking before the game and he was like, ‘It’s high praise to say he’s in the top 1% of shooters’ … Well, nah, he’s in the top 1%. … That was supernatural what he just did,” Redick said (per McMenamin).
As a rookie, Dalton Knecht could become a key player in the Lakers' rotation, especially if he consistently excels with his 3-point shooting.