The Los Angeles Lakers picked up their second preseason win in a 126-122 OT thriller against the Phoenix Suns , led by rookie Dalton Knecht scoring 35 points with 20 straight in the fourth quarter and OT to pull off the comeback win. The Lakers trailed for the majority of the second half before Knecht's offensive explosion led to OT and the win.
Knecht (35 PTS, 10-18 FG, 8-13 3PT) was joined by an incredible Anthony Davis performance where the big man put up 35 points and 10 rebounds (14-28 FG, 4-9 3PT). Austin Reaves had 18 points and eight rebounds as no other Lakers scored in double-digits. Bronny James had an efficient four-point showing (2-4 FG) and was a team-high +17. D'Angelo Russell had nine points and 10 assists. LeBron James and Rui Hachimura were ruled out of this game.
The Suns controlled the game when their starters were playing, with all five starters scoring in double digits. Devin Booker put up 22 points (8-18 FG) while Kevin Durant had 19 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists (8-13 FG). Jusuf Nurkic had a strong 15 points and seven rebounds, Bradley Beal put up an inefficient 13 points (4-15 FG), and Tyus Jones had 11 points, five assists, and three steals (5-7 FG).
Here are the three primary factors behind the Lakers' strong win over the Suns.
Dalton Knecht Has Changed The Lakers Spacing
If people weren't convinced Dalton Knecht needs to be a starter, this preseason game might change their opinions. His 35 points came with 20 straight in the fourth quarter and OT, including the game-tying three at the end of the fourth that allowed the Lakers to clinch it in OT.
The Lakers shot 8-38 (21.05%) from three without Knecht, with their lack of shooting being the primary reason they trailed for the majority of the game. But Knecht's ability to hit shots off the catch, from pull-ups, and on the move is an incredible ability that gives the Lakers a shooter they haven't had in ages.
He hasn't been stellar defensively but has the size of an average defender, with his shooting making him far more playable.
LeBron James loves having shooters like Knecht as offensive options next to him, so we might see Dalton playing a significant role off the Lakers bench this season. He's averaged 18.0 points on 36.0% from three through five preseason appearances.
Anthony Davis Set An Incredible Tone
The performance that will get buried by Knecht's scoring masterclass in the clutch is Anthony Davis. He put up 15 points in just the first quarter, hitting four straight three-pointers in an encouraging sign of his shooting game being more effective this season. Those four threes were crucial, as the team outside of Davis and Knecht made just four three-pointers as a team.
Davis was a two-way monster, reinforcing the idea that he might be the Lakers' primary option this season. JJ Redick has made Davis a far more effective player all around the court by freeing his defensive responsibilities up with extended minutes alongside players like Jaxson Hayes. Davis was a defensive presence all game while free-roaming and was offensively unstoppable.
Without Davis' contribution through the first three quarters, the Lakers wouldn't have been in a position for Knecht to seal the game for them with an incredible shooting performance. Davis has been dominant all throughout preseason, averaging 21.7 points and 9.5 rebounds in four games.
JJ Redick Is Creating A New Offensive Identity
Preseason has been the first real look we have had at JJ Redick as an NBA coach, seeing the sets he has planned and what the team's identity on the court is. The last few seasons saw the Lakers rely on defense and inside scoring, but this win over the Suns showed that Redick is adopting a three-point focus to the Lakers.
Through five preseason games, the Lakers have attempted 40.4 three-pointers per game, with 46 attempts in this win over the Suns. The Lakers players haven't been converting these opportunities, currently hitting at 30.6% rate (62-202), but there is ingenuity behind how these players are getting these opportunities.
The Lakers have ranked in the bottom 10 in 3-point attempts per game in four of their last five seasons, including just 28th last season. If they averaged 40.4 attempts per game last season, they would've ranked second behind the Boston Celtics.
Specific plays run for Knecht at the end of the game and for Davis at the start helped them get off to the shooting starts we saw from them. In addition, the Lakers as a whole are watching their three-point attempts increase considerably over what we saw last season. The makes are yet to come, but the emphasis on being a more coherent perimeter offense will go a long way when the team is playing with their stars in the regular season.
Related: 5 Important Questions Facing The Lakers In The 2024-25 Season
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