Knecht’s Strong 4th Quarter Wows Fans as Bronny, Lakers Lose to Warriors in Preseason

Andrew PetersOctober 16, 2024

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

The Los Angeles Lakers dropped to 1-3 in preseason play with a 111-97 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.

Aside from Anthony Davis’ 24 points, there wasn’t much to show for the Lakers’ stars in the loss as they played limited minutes.

For the rookies, Lakers’ first-round pick Dalton Knecht had 19 points on 6-of-15 from the field, starting off slow but finishing with decent numbers. Second-round pick Bronny James didn’t see the floor until the fourth quarter, and fans were delighted to see him check into the game.

Dave McMenamin @mctenA “Bronny” chant and warm ovation here in the 4th Q when the Lakers rookie checks in for the first time tonight pic.twitter.com/3w7OmsPYeX

James put up two points on 1-of-5 from the field in nine minutes.

NBA @NBABronny James accelerates downhill for the strong finish 💪

📺 GSW-LAL 4Q on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/iD6t03X0Cr

After the loss, fans were happy to see Knecht find his rhythm late in the game.

Lakers Nation @LakersNationAnother 3 from Knecht! Keep shooting, young fella

Lakers Nation @LakersNationKnecht closing the night out strong

Edwin Garcia @ECreates88Dalton Knecht has caught fire in the fourth here.

Caitlin Marie 🙂 @catlikessportsDalton Knecht is gonna end up being one of the steals of the draft

Witness King James @WITNESSKJMan, Dalton Knecht has IT.

Mike Trudell @LakersReporterDalton Knecht heated up late in the 4th Q, and is up to 19 points on 6 of 13 FG’s with 5 made triples, and 1 minute to play.

Lakers Lead @LakersLeadDALTON KNECHT TONIGHT
🛜 21 minutes
🛜 19 points
🛜 2 steals
🛜 6/15 fg
🛜 5/13 3pt

What’s his ceiling? pic.twitter.com/Z4hd7OgBiY

Does it Matter @Ushould_followDalton Knecht a rookie and he already the best shooter on the Lakers

Edwin Garcia @ECreates88Lakers lost 111-97 against the Warriors. AD was incredible, with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Rui Hachimurta had 15 points and 9 rebounds. Dalton Knecht struggled most of the game but had a strong fourth, ending the night with 19 points. 3-point shooting was rough, 11-40 as a team.

Knecht showed on Tuesday that when he finds a rhythm, he can be a huge offensive spark off the bench. The question will be whether he can shake off the slow starts and put together strong games from start to finish.

Sluggish starts have been a bit of a theme for Knecht so far in preseason. That could just be the nerves that come with being a rookie in the NBA. As he gets more experience, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Knecht put his name in the running for Rookie of the Year.