Lakers head coach JJ Redick praised rookie Dalton Knecht for igniting the team’s comeback in their 128-123 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.
“He was the spark we needed… his energy changed everything,” Redick said. “It got the crowd and the bench fired up and brought us back to life.”
Knecht scored a career-high 19 points, going 7-for-8 from the field and perfect from beyond the arc with five three-pointers. In just 20 minutes off the bench, he made a significant impact, including an alley-oop to Christian Koloko that tied the game at 96.
“I just remember grabbing the ball and seeing Koloko running, so I threw it up for a lob and he dunked it,” Knecht recalled. “It was great to see the energy at Crypto.com Arena.”
While LeBron James’ third consecutive triple-double was a major highlight, he credited Knecht for energizing the offense. “We leaned on Dalton; he got hot like he did in Tennessee,” James said. “I just tried to pitch in here and there.”
Anthony Davis also applauded Knecht, noting the rookie’s shooting in the third quarter was crucial. “He made some big shots for us,” Davis said, mentioning that Knecht had been encouraged to take more shots after passing up opportunities in previous games.
With his strong performance, Knecht is making a strong case for more minutes. The Lakers see a bright future for the 23-year-old, believing he could be the three-point shooter they’ve long needed if he keeps up his current trajectory.
