Doing his thing.
Dalton Knecht is already doing Dalton Knecht things at the next level. The former Tennessee Volunteer exploded for 35 points last night in a preseason matchup against the Phoenix Suns, powering his Lakers to the victory.
His 35 points included a whopping 20 straight points in the fourth quarter and overtime to seal the deal. The highlights below should look fairly familiar — Knecht had that look in his eye and just took over the game.
Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht STOLE THE SHOW scoring TWENTY STRAIGHT in the 4Q and OT leading LAL to the #NBAPreseason victory!
35 PTS
7 REB
8 3PM
10-18 FGM pic.twitter.com/WFCptZs3cd— NBA (@NBA) October 18, 2024
Knecht ended up playing 32 minutes on the night, shooting 10-18 from the field. That included an 8 of 13 number from three point range, along with connecting on 7-8 attempts from the free throw stripe. He added seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
The 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft is averaging 18.6 points per game this preseason. Knecht struggled from three-point range to open the preseason, but has quickly come to life from deep. He’s shooting 13-26 from three-point range in his last two games, with the season just around the corner.
We’ll see what kind of role Knecht has with the Lakers out of the gates next week, when the NBA tips off on October 22nd. The Lakers will open with the Timberwolves on Tuesday (9:00 p.m. ET, TNT).