Dalton Knecht stepped up for the injury riddled LA Lakers as he added 32 points in their game against the Denver Nuggets.
Despite his good game and help from the other players, the Lakers suffered a 126-131 loss.
In the absence of Lakers star duo, LeBron James and Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves led the way with a 37-point night.
Him and Knecht combined for 69 points on the night, but some brilliant late game performance from the Nuggets’ Jamal Murray meant the Purple and Gold would endure their fourth straight loss on the road.
Lakers rookie Knecht attempted 27 shots and revealed that Reaves motivated him throughout the game to take as many shots as he wanted.
He was sent to the Charlotte Hornets as part of the Mark Williams deal, but the rescinded trade meant Knecht would be back with the team that drafted him.
In a game where the team needed him to step up, Knecht took the responsibility and he gave Reaves the credit for allowing him to play freely.
Knecht said: “He’s been pretty much my main vet, I can go to and talk to all the time and he has my back 100%.
“He almost had a 40, almost had a triple-double so having a guy like that to help me and to be super confident in me, means a lot.”
After he came back to the Lakers following the rescinded trade, the former Tennessee player was in a bit of a shooting dip.
However, Markieff Morris shared some words of wisdom as a veteran and that seems to have rejuvenated the player’s career.
In March alone, Knecht has been averaging 16 PPG on an efficient 52.9% shooting from the field and 42% shooting from beyond the arc.
The 23-year-old has shown glimpses of his brilliance with some big games against the likes of Brooklyn Nets and LA Clippers recently, but his outing against the Nuggets would have reassured JJ Reddick that he has a quality player.
In college Knecht averaged sensational shooting numbers, but there were concerns if he could translate that into the NBA.
While his defense has not levelled up yet, Knecht’s shooting has been brilliant for a rookie player and he could go down as a key piece for the Lakers in the future.
