Dalton Knecht stats tonight: How did the Lakers rookie fare against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks (Mar. 20)

Dalton Knecht had a sedate evening as the short-handed LA Lakers were trounced 118-89 by the Milwaukee Bucks at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday. The rookie was a starter after LA's big names were rested following their arduous schedule and he fell short of making a solid contribution as the short-handed LA looked to stay in the game.

Knecht ended with 17 points on 5-for-14 shooting from the field and 3-for-6 from deep. He added four rebounds, three assists and one steal to his tally in 31:04 minutes on the floor. In the first half, the forward had one rebound and one assist as he ended his half with just two points in 15:33 minutes.

Dalton Knecht came into the contest averaging 9.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists while averaging 46.2% from the field and 36.5% from beyond the arc.

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"Pretty much like my main vet": Dalton Knecht on support he receives from Austin Reaves

Earlier, Dalton Knecht shared how teammate Austin Reaves' words of support were key for the rookie stepping up in a timely fashion. The Tennessee product has been an impact player for the Lakers in his rookie season and he had Reaves to thank for.

“Yeah, AR tells me all the time. He texted me throughout my college career and gave me advice and now that we’re on the same team he’s been pretty much like my main vet I could go to and talk to all the time. He has my back 100%, so having a guy like that, what he almost had 40 and a triple-double, so having a guy like that to help me and be super confident in me means a lot.”

Knecht has also received lavish praise from LeBron James and former teammate Anthony Davis. Only time will tell if he can continue his solid run in his rookie season.