The Lakers started strong but lost steam in the second half, losing 99-80 to the Houston Rockets on Friday afternoon.
Dalton Knecht had another great game, scoring 25 points, six rebounds and four assists. Bronny James Jr. scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds.
Tommy Kuhse had 11 points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal. Maxwell Lewis had five assists to go with six points and four rebounds. Colin Castleton had 10 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
Lewis got things started for the Lakers with a steal that led to a monstrous dunk. After that, Bronny took a three-pointer that he missed but followed with a layup. He was much more aggressive with his offense, especially attacking the basket. This young Lakers team was playing sloppy, but they looked more engaged than they did in the California Classic games.
The two teams went head to head in the first quarter. Knecht, Bronny and Kuhse led the offense and by the end of the period the game was tied.
Los Angeles didn’t start the second quarter with the same intensity they had at the beginning of the game. They lost the ball and looked disoriented. The shots were there, but LA started cold and it took a while for their offense to come back.
Lewis roused the crowd with a dunk on a missed three-pointer by Blake Hinson. The Lakers’ turnovers piled up and the Rockets took an 11-point lead. A three-pointer by Knecht stopped some of the Lakers’ bleeding. Despite a good run late in the half, the Lakers trailed by nine at halftime.
The Lakers quickly cut the deficit to six points in the third quarter on a dunk by Castleton. Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard showed off his skills, making Knecht dance with an and-one. The two teams picked up the pace, trading shots and dunks.
Sheppard put on a show, hitting a three-pointer from Steph Curry’s range. Houston’s lead continued to grow as LA failed to connect its shots. Much of the quarter was devoted to a show of strength from the Rockets, with Cam Whitemore also having a strong game.
The Lakers started the final quarter trying to cut into the Rockets’ lead. Houston extended their lead to 19 points, eliminating what little momentum LA had built. Knecht continued to show his accuracy by hitting another three-pointer. Bronny continued to struggle offensively with three missed three-pointers.
The Lakers failed to pull off a magical comeback to secure their first win of Summer League as the Rockets kept their foot on the gas and didn’t let up for the entire second half.
Key takeaways:
Knecht continues to look good in every game. He finds his shot and is aggressive, scoring fadeaways and hitting three-pointers. He also has been dishing out assists without issue.
Bronny’s offense is still struggling, but overall he continues to improve with each game. His defense is impressive.
Watch the next match of the Las Vegas Summer League Monday against the Boston Celtics at 7:30 p.m. PT.
You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.
News Source : www.silverscreenandroll.com
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