Lakers Rookie Had Perfect Response To Massive Game In NBA Preseason

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns 128-122 in overtime in their fifth preseason game on Thursday night. It was the team's second-to-last tune-up before they officially begin their quest for an 18th NBA championship.

The Lakers were without starters LeBron James and Rui Hachimura, but Anthony Davis showed up in a big way, dominating from the tip. He finished with 35 points, 10 rebounds and four assists .

With 1:23 remaining in the game, the Lakers trailed by four after rookie Dalton Knecht hit a technical free throw. That was the moment Knecht began to take over.

The former Tennessee Volunteer scored 20 consecutive points from the end of regulation through overtime. He even hit a three-pointer over the 7-foot-3 Bol Bol with 4.8 seconds left in regulation, tying the game at 113.

Knecht was asked about his stellar performance during a postgame interview.

"How big did the hoop look to you?"

"I was just hoopin'," Knecht responded.

Knecht finished the night with 35 points, seven rebounds, and one assist , surpassing his previous preseason high of 19 points.

The Lakers selected Knecht at No. 17 overall in this year's NBA draft. After playing two seasons for the Northern Colorado Bears, Knecht transferred to Tennessee, where he played just one season and was widely considered one of the best college players in the country.

Knecht earned numerous awards in 2023-24, including SEC Player of the Year, the Julius Erving Award, the Riley Wallace Award, and he was named a consensus first-team All-American.

In one season at Tennessee, he averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game .

The Lakers will wrap up the preseason on Friday night at Golden State. They'll face the Warriors at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

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