The Los Angeles Lakers returned to the court with Las Vegas Summer League action on Monday night, looking to beat the Boston Celtics and pick up their first one.
It’s been a struggle for the Lakers so far this summer, losing their first four games. That continued in this one as they wound up suffering a 88-74 loss at the hands of the Celtics.
As has been the case all summer, the Lakers struggled early as the Celtics jumped out to a 14-4 lead thanks to some nice work down low by big man Neemias Queta. Cleaning the class has been an issue for this team all summer so far.
Lakers first round pick Dalton Knecht eventually got his team going though with seven points, cutting the deficit to 19-17 at the end of the first.
Moses Brown came off the bench and helped with the Lakers’ issues down low, picking up four quick points and five rebounds. Maxwell Lewis then got going as well, knocking down a trio of 3-pointers.
Things went down hill from there though with Queta continuing to have his way inside. JD Davison then hit a pair of triples to end the half, giving Boston a comfortable 50-34 lead.
One Lakers player who has struggled this summer is Bronny James, and that continued here as he could not connect on any shots midway through the third quarter.
The lone bright spot for L.A. continued to be Knecht, who drove for a layup and then hit another corner triple. He then found two-way rookie Blake Hinson for a 3-pointer of his own, although the Lakers still trailed 65-49 at the end of the third.
James finally got a bucket to fall in the fourth quarter, pulling up from midrange as the Thomas & Mack center crowd went crazy. Another USC alum in Drew Peterson helped put the game away for the Celtics though by connecting from deep.
While it was in another losing effort, Knecht led the way for L.A., continuing his strong summer. He finished with 19 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block. While he has some work to do on the defensive end, he has continued to improve for the Lakers with each game.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers have three more Summer League games in Las Vegas since they won’t be playing for any championships. The first one is on Wednesday night when they take on No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher and the Atlanta Hawks at 6:30 p.m. PT.
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