In their second game of group play in this year's Emirates NBA Cup, the Los Angeles Lakers looked to extend their overall winning streak to six games when they took on the Utah Jazz on Tuesday.
They led almost wire to wire and were up 57-44 at halftime, even though they seemed to be floating a bit. They enjoyed some fireworks from rookie sharpshooter Dalton Knecht in the third quarter to remain ahead by a decent margin, but Utah, who came into this game with a 3-10 record, made things interesting late.
It chopped what was a 25-point deficit to 20, then to 15, then to under 10 in the last couple of minutes of play. It got as close as seven points in the waning moments, but the Lakers just had too much firepower and held on for a 124-118 victory. However, they gave up 74 points in the second half, got outrebounded by six and were outscored in the paint by 14 points, and these are issues that continue to afflict them.
But they remain undefeated at home, and in the Emirates NBA Cup standings, they're in first place in Group B in the Western Conference. Overall, L.A. has maintained its hold on the third spot in the Western Conference with a 10-4 record, a record almost no one expected them to have at this point of the season.
Davis did lots of work in the first half with 10 rebounds, although he had just 12 points at halftime. With 4:45 left in the third quarter, he got hit in the groin area by Utah forward John Collins and was writhing on the ground in pain. A flagrant 1 foul was called against Collins, and shortly after shooting the ensuing free throws, Davis left the game.
He returned in the fourth quarter and finished with 26 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and two steals in 34 minutes. While he shot an excellent 10-of-15 from the field, he was just 6-of-10 from the free throw line and didn't block a single shot.
Reddish attempted just one shot in 25 minutes, which he made, but he made a decent contribution defensively. He had two steals and two blocks, and he seems to be contributing decently since being moved into the starting lineup earlier this month.
This wasn't a very efficient game for Reaves, but he managed to score 17 points and went 3-of-7 from 3-point range in 33 minutes. He also dished off five assists, although he committed three turnovers and didn't have a single rebound.
If Saturday's win over the New Orleans Pelicans was Knecht's breakout performance, this was a statement performance for him.
Early on, things looked good for him when he got off to a good start by going 3-of-4 overall and hitting both of his 3-point attempts in the first quarter. He did a good job of mixing up his attack by getting three dunks, two of them in transition. But it was late in the third quarter when Knecht went into volcano mode.
He made four straight 3-pointers, then got fouled while shooting a trey and made all three free throws, and just moments later, he knocked down yet another triple. In all, he scored 21 points in the third period to keep the Lakers comfortably ahead, and he finished with 37 points on 12-of-16 overall shooting. He tied an NBA rookie record with nine made 3-pointers (in 12 attempts) and was two points away from breaking Kyle Kuzma's Lakers record for most points by a rookie in a single game.
By now, many executives around the NBA are kicking themselves for passing up on Knecht and letting the Lakers take him with the No. 17 pick in June's draft.
James seemed to be in cruise control for much of the evening, but he scored 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting and dished off 12 assists. However, he had only two rebounds, and he struggled with his 3-point shot, going just 1-of-5 from that distance, while going just 7-of-11 from the free throw line.
James got off to such a scorching start from downtown this season that his 3-point shooting may be something to keep an eye on moving forward. If he continues to shoot plenty of blanks from that distance, it could be a reason to be concerned, as it could be a sign of fatigue, especially this early in the season.
While Russell has been playing better overall since being moved to the bench, his shooting efficiency still seems to be up and down. On Tuesday, it was definitely down. He shot just 2-of-8 from the field and missed all four of his 3-point attempts, giving him just eight points in 26 minutes. He had six assists and six rebounds, but he also turned the ball over four times.
Russell did provide a rare defensive highlight. In the first quarter, he blocked a shot at the rim by Collins, controlled it and created a fast-break opportunity that ended with an assist to Knecht for a dunk.
In 14 minutes, Koloko grabbed three rebounds and made his lone shot attempt. He seems to be filling in adequately for backup center Jaxson Hayes, who is out with a sprained ankle.
Vincent made a rare 3-pointer in the first quarter, and he finished with three points, two rebounds and one assist in 19 minutes.
Christie didn't score a point in 17 minutes, but he did help out on the defensive end with two steals and two blocks. While he may be a disappointment offensively, he will give 100% defensively and on the boards, and that is valuable for a team that is still struggling on the defensive end.