Dalton Knecht Stats Tonight: Lakers rookie rediscovers swagger amid Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves' injury absences vs Clippers (Mar. 2)

LA Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht had a significant role against the LA Clippers on Sunday. The Lakers missed two of their top four offensive players, Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves, with injuries, opening up more playing time for Knecht and others among the reserve unit.

Knecht began the contest with a bang to set the tone for himself. He hit his first three shots after converting a putback dunk, a corner 3 and another triple from downtown after his introduction, scoring eight first-quarter points.

Knecht wrapped up his first half shift with 12:19 minutes of action. He went off for 14 points, two rebounds and one steal, shooting 5 of 7, including 4 of 6 from 3. Knecht seemingly looked like he had his swagger back in this contest, which made him a fan favorite at the start of the season.

The Lakers took a 13-point lead into the half, making Knecht's contributions valuable.

Dalton Knecht played five minutes in the third quarter, adding two points and a steal. He didn't have much impact in that stretch, with Luka Doncic taking care of business to set the tone for the second half.

Knecht played nearly seven minutes in the fourth and made it count with a clutch shot late from 3 with 5:17 left and LA struggling to score, giving the team a 10-point lead. He added two rebounds, including one on offense.

Dalton Knecht ended the night with 19 points, four rebounds and two steals on 7 of 10 shots, including 5 of 8 from 3. He was a +/- -13. The Lakers won the game 108-102.

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Dalton Knecht reflects on his bounce-back performance for Lakers after returning from rescinded trade

It hasn't been an easy stretch for rookie Dalton Knecht, who faced an unusual situation in his debut season. The Lakers traded him to the Hornets only to void the deal after Mark Williams failed his physical. Knecht returned to the organization, aware that he had become a tradeable asset after initially looking like a long-term prospect.

However, the Luka Doncic trade changed the roster's needs at that point. Doncic's trajectory as a then 25-year-old made the Lakers more open to dealing their younger pieces to fill roster holes.

Knecht hasn't had his rhythm since that sag, but on Sunday, he displayed the same energy he had back when the season started. The rookie reflected on his goals moving forward after dealing with that situation, saying (via ESPN's Dave McMenamin):

"My teammates know what I can do and I’m just trying to stay consistent for them and make life easy for my teammates."

The Lakers need such production nightly from Dalton Knecht until Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves return. Both are likely day-to-day. Knecht helped fill that role with his 19 points, and it was critical on a night when the Lakers won by just six points against a playoff-contending team.