The Los Angeles Lakers headed into Friday night of the Las Vegas Summer League with a 2-1 record, but they’d have to go up against the Memphis Grizzlies without their driving force in Max Christie. This would open the door for the other young players on the roster to get an opportunity to play.
Heading into the game, there were Las Vegas Summer League playoff implications on the line for the Lakers. They would have to win by 21 or more points to clinch a spot in the playoffs, but things got out of hand early.
Ultimately, the Lakers would lose 100-69, but the play of the night was guard LJ Figueroa’s monster putback dunk late in the third quarter. On a lowly night for the Lakers, this play provided the fans in attendance with some entertainment. After the game, Figueroa gave his thoughts on this dunk and where it ranks in his career, via ClutchPoints:
“The guys was just talking about it in the locker room. I told them it wasn’t my best dunk, but I had just seen it and it might be my best dunk. I had a few my first year at St. Johns, a few put-back dunks like that, but this one was a spectacular one.”
Figueroa continued by saying that he believes that putback dunks are a part of his game, having the ability to time rebounds and create plays that turn the game around. While his dunk may not have resulted in a victory for the Lakers, it left fans a memorable moment from Summer League this year.
The 6’6″ guard went undrafted out of Oregon and has yet to get a shot in the NBA. He spent last season with the South Bay Lakers averaging 14.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists, shooting 50.6% from the field and 43.3% from 3.
Perhaps a play like this is what gets Figueroa some traction in the NBA and some teams start to look at him closer as a player. The Lakers will have one more game on Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers to finish out their Las Vegas Summer League play this year and it’s fair to assume that Christie will be held out of that contest, again allowing Figueroa and others to showcase their talent one last time.
Lakers lose to Grizzlies, ending Las Vegas Summer League championship hopes
As mentioned, the Lakers got off to a slow and sluggish start against the Grizzlies and were playing catchup since the ball tipped. It took 5.5 minutes to get on the scoreboard until Figueroa and Bryce Hamilton tried to create a spark to get the team going, but did not pan out in a 100-69 loss.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
