PHOENIX – With just 5.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Dalton Knecht scored a deep 3-pointer to force overtime and helped the Los Angeles Lakers pull off a wild 128-122 comeback victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Knecht finished with 35 points, including 10 in overtime, and Anthony Davis also had 35 as well for the Lakers. Davis grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double and Austin Reaves added 18 points.
In his first game of the preseason, Jusuf Nurkić produced with 15 points and seven rebounds in the loss for the Suns. All five starters for Phoenix scored in double-figures, with Booker leading the way with 22 and Kevin Durant clinching 19.
Nurkic returns, Suns run starters get plenty of minutes
Without LeBron James (rest) who was inactive, Davis went off in the early goings of the game, scoring the first eight points for the Lakers and 15 in the first quarter as a whole. He racked up 17 points and eight rebounds in the first half of the preseason opener against the Suns in Palm Springs, Calif. on Oct. 6 before sitting out the second half.
Flipping a seven-point deficit, the Suns went on a 12-4 run to lead 25-24 before Los Angeles answered right back and were up 35-30 at the end of the quarter. Both teams were red-hot from behind the arch, with the Lakers shooting 8-for-15 (53.3%) and the Suns going 5-for-10 (50%) from three in the opening frame.
Looking to build on his career season last year, Reaves didn’t shy away from attacking the basket or firing a spot-up shot from anywhere. He averaged 15.9 points, 5.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds in all 82 (57 starts) games last season.
Dealing with a finger injury that caused him to miss almost the entire preseason, Nurkić returned and picked up where he left off last season. With an emphasis on shooting more from three, Nurkic wasted no time in showcasing another ability that he has added in his locker while continuing to be a persistent threat in the paint.
“I thought overall, very positive. Great for him, right around the money where we wanted his minutes, made a couple threes. Had some deflections, steals, rebounds. He played like the Nurk I have been watching on film all summer,” Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer said. “I thought there were a lot of positives. I think he pushed himself, he was feeling it.”
“He played like the Nurk that I have been watching on film.”
Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer on Jusuf Nurkic’s performance in his first game of the preseason.#SunsUp #NBA #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/Xv34Xli4Cq
— Burn City Suns ☀️ (@BurnCitySuns) October 18, 2024
Just when Phoenix thought they were clawing back, Los Angeles didn’t let up. The Suns started to push away struggles to keep possession as they regained the lead in the second quarter 67-62 thanks to a 20-point first half by Booker.
Despite it being preseason and having a chance to rotate his entire roster, Budenholzer chose to keep relatively the same rotation involving the Durant, Booker, Tyus Jones and Bradley Beal until there were five minutes left on the clock in the fourth quarter. Once Phoenix’s bench was being emptied, the only player available that did not play was Frank Kaminsky.
“We hope to get our guys up around 30 minutes, hope to get them some fourth-quarter minutes, so that was close to what we hoped for,” Budenholzer said. “I think for those guys to get up at that 30-minute mark to start getting ready for the regular season and what’s coming.”
Between sloppy shot attempts, self-inflicted turnovers and fouls in the second half by the Suns, they were punished by the Lakers who went the other way and capitalized.
Vying for a spot on the Lakers’ opening night roster, LeBron’s son Bronny James did not feature until the 2:13 mark of the third quarter. The 55th overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft finished with four points, two rebounds and was charged with a flagrant foul on Jalen Bridges.
Phoenix created some breathing room in the third quarter with Durant and Beal combining for 10 of the Suns’ points, going up 90-82. Beal played 30 minutes, recording 13 points, four assists, four rebounds and a team-high five turnovers.
As a result of this being Nurkić’s first game back, rookie Oso Ighodaro and Mason Plumlee featured at different moments of the game. Ighodaro ended with six points, two rebounds and two blocks. Plumlee eclipsed four points and eight rebounds.
Experimenting with different lineup combinations, Budenholzer tried to utilize Ighodaro at forward with Nurkić at center and see how it looked.
“It would be good to go back and look at it, but we feel like Nurk can give us spacing and Oso is dynamic in the pick and roll game. Really haven’t had much of it at practice, so it was good to try it out,” Budenholzer said. “I think Oso can impact the game and guards lots of different positions on the other end.”
“I think Oso can impact the game and guard lots of different positions on the other end.”
Phoenix Suns coach Mike Budenholzer speaking about having Jusuf Nurkic and Oso Ighodaro on the court at the same time and how Ighodaro’s role could look like.#SunsUp #NBA #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/wdtRBPxQl7
— Burn City Suns ☀️ (@BurnCitySuns) October 18, 2024
Knecht late-game heroics helped Lakers pull off huge comeback
Noticing that the time was winding down, the Lakers sniffed the chance to draw within two and they didn’t just do that, they forced overtime.
Lakers coach JJ Redick called a timeout to rally the troops and go over a gameplan that could result in them forcing overtime.
Whatever was said in the huddle, it worked.
With the game on the line, Knecht swished a deep 3-pointer to tie the game 113-113 and silence the soldout crowd inside Footprint Center.
In the extra period, Knecht would swish two 3-pointers and accumulate 10 points as the Lakers were on the brink of stealing a win in Phoenix.
Los Angeles center Jaxson Hayes put an exclamation point on the win with a game-sealing layup and the Lakers miraculously came out on top.
The sharpshooting Knecht was 10-of-18 from the field and 8-for-13 from three, exemplifying why Los Angeles took a chance on the 23-year-old guard with the No. 17 pick in this year’s draft. Not a highly soughtafter recruit before college and grinding to where he is today, he played two seasons in JUCO at Northeastern Junior College in Colorado, two seasons at the University of Northern Colorado and used his fifth year of eligibility at Tennesse this past season before becoming a first-round selection.
When talking about Knecht and the monstrous performance he had, Booker didn’t know much about him but could see the potential he has in the NBA.
“Unbelievable, he can shoot the peel off the ball and that opens up everything else for him. I didn’t know much about him until Palm Springs but definitely someone that I have my eye on.”
“Definitely someone that I have my eye on.”
Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker talking about Los Angeles Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht and how impressed he was.
Knecht scored 35 points, forced overtime and had 10 points in OT.#SunsUp #NBA #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/px8qtDVauc
— Burn City Suns ☀️ (@BurnCitySuns) October 18, 2024
Next Games
Suns: Away at Los Angeles Clippers | Oct. 23 | 7 p.m. PT
Lakers: (PRESEASON) Away at Golden State Warriors | Oct. 18 | 7:30 p.m. PT
Kevin Durant ‘trying to focus on basketball’ with contract extension deadline approaching
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Mercury, Suns and ASU Athletics for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
