Dalton Knecht Stats Tonight: How did Lakers rookie perform against Raptors? (Nov. 10)
LA Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht has had a rough past couple of games, shooting a combined 2-for-15 against the Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers. Knecht is averaging just 6.2 points per game in 17.1 minutes. How did the Lakers rookie perform tonight versus the Toronto Raptors?
Knecht finished with just five points, a rebound and two assists in almost 15 minutes of action. He gave the Lakers the lead in the third quarter, sparking the team's momentum heading into the final period.
Austin Reaves led the way for the Lakers with a team-high 27 points, but it was LeBron James, who had the biggest impact. James had 19 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists, while Anthony Davis finished with 22 points and four rebounds before going down with an injury.
Here are Dalton Knecht's stats for the game:
How did Dalton Knecht perform against the Toronto Raptors?
Dalton Knecht was not part of the Lakers' starting lineup that featured Austin Reaves, Cam Reddish, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Knecht has only started one game this season when Hachimura and Davis were ruled out because of injuries.
The Tennessee product entered the game halfway through the first quarter, replacing Reddish in the lineup. He hit his first basket at the 2:43 mark to trim the Raptors' lead to just five points. He was replaced a minute later by James to close out the period.
The rookie gave James a breather with five minutes left in the first half as the Lakers were down by 10 points. He was subbed out for Reaves three minutes later. He went scoreless and only took one shot from beyond the arc, which was a bad miss. Nevertheless, the Lakers were just down 55-53 at the end of the first half.
It was the same rotation in the third quarter for Dalton Knecht, who subbed in for Cam Reddish at the midway point. He hit a 3-point shot around the two-minute mark to give the LA Lakers a 79-77 lead. It was the momentum swing the team needed heading into the fourth quarter.
Knecht barely played in the final period, with LeBron James and Austin Reaves picking up the slack after Anthony Davis injured his eye. The Lakers dominated the final period and the defense was just phenomenal. They were up by 20 points with two minutes left, so JJ Redick emptied the bench.
The 23-year-old swingman returned to the game and tallied one assist as the Lakers earned a 123-103 win. They improved to 6-4 for the season and 5-0 at the Crypto.com Arena.
What's next for the LA Lakers?
The LA Lakers continue their three-game homestand on Wednesday when they take on the Memphis Grizzlies. The Lakers are out for revenge after losing at the FedEx Forum last week. They then begin their defense of the NBA Cup on Friday on the road with a group stage game against the San Antonio Spurs.