The Los Angeles Lakers lost by 27 at the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night in an NBA Cup game.
Afterward, JJ Redick mentioned some potential changes after losing three in a row. On Wednesday, he did exactly that by inserting rookie sharpshooter Dalton Knecht back into the starting five.
Knecht had played the previous two games off the bench, but Redick went back to Knecht and took Cam Reddish out.
As a result, Knecht scored 20 points and the Lakers got the 119-101 win over the San Antonio Spurs on the road.
After the game, Knecht revealed the message Redick told him before tip-off, per Lakers Nation.
“Just be you.”
Well, Knecht did just that against the Spurs.
The rookie had 20 points with eight rebounds in 30 minutes and went 4-of-10 from three.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht (4).
© Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Knecht ended up leading the Lakers in scoring as seven total LA players finished in double figures.
In the previous two games, Kencht had scored a combined 16 points with just two three-pointers, so the return to the lineup worked out well for the Lakers and Knecht.
The Lakers finish the month of November on Friday night with an NBA Cup game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. It will be worth monitoring to see if Redick keeps Knecht in the starting five or not.
