Dalton Knecht’s Career-High 37 Points Lead Lakers to 124-118 Victory Over Jazz
Rookie Los Angeles Lakers score guard Dalton Knecht set an NBA record tying with nine and hit a career high 37 points, leading the Lakers to a 124-118 victory against the Utah Jazz. It was the Lakers’ sixth straight win, and LeBron James contributed 26 points and 12 assists, while Anthony Davis scored 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. The Lakers are now 7-0 when playing at home and 2-0 when playing in the group stages of the tournament.
Lakers vs Jazz
The show stealer of the night was Dalton Knecht, who scored 9 out of 14 treys and equalled an NBA rookie record. He scored 21 points in the third quarter as the Lakers increased the margin. Indeed, Knecht’s two 3-pointers that came in succession helped stir the home fans into action in the best game of the year. They did not score in the fourth quarter but his contribution towards the victory was very crucial.
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Knecht has been absolutely fantastic since he became part of the starting five, scoring 24.3 points per game, and making 21 of his 3-point attempts in the last four games. His shooting has offered the Lakers something that they have lacked for years alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, namely catch-and-shoot. Knecht’s ability to put the ball through the hoop could come in handy for the Lakers as they go for back-to-back championships.
Jazz Struggle Despite Strong Fourth-Quarter Push
The Utah Jazz who are on a three game losing streak, had a good last quarter but could not seize the victory. Collin Sexton scored 19 points, Keyonte George scored 18, and Lauri Markkanen scored 25 points for the team. George who was slow in the first three quarters scored ten of his eighteen points in the last quarter, but Utah came from behind to reduce the margin.
But it was not enough for Jazz as they paid a price for their first half performances. It however got worse for the team when John Collins carried out a flagrant foul on Anthony Davis in what had been a very hard night for Jazz. But it was not sufficient to compensate for the 43 point margin that the Jazz did not cover in the final period as they now seek ways on how to get better when facing the San Antonio Spurs.
Key Stats and Takeaways
Knecht scored nine 3-point field goals which matched with the record of NBA rookie game with Rodrigue Beaubuis, Yogi Ferrell and Keyonte George of Utah. Back home the Lakers took their season record to 7-0 and were anchored by their two big men LeBron James and Anthony Davis. At the same time, the Jazz of the young core, which occasionally occurred when it could take the victory.
