Dalton Knecht Stats Tonight: Rookie comes up huge in LeBron James' absence as Lakers sweep Kings (Dec. 28)

Dalton Knecht and the Lakers squared off against the Sacramento Kings at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Saturday. LeBron James missed the game due to an illness and rookie Knecht stepped up and made big plays as the Purple and Gold recorded a 132-122 win at home.

Knecht played 33 minutes, finishing with 18 points, two rebounds and one assist. He shot 6 of 10 from the floor, including 2 of 5 from 3-point range. He made all his four free throws and finished with a plus/minus of +9.

Dalton Knecht through 4 quarters

As usual, Knecht came off the bench and quickly provided a spark to the Purple and Gold's offense.

The rookie missed his first shot attempt, a wide-open corner three, but remained undeterred. The former Tennessee standout soon got on the scoreboard, making back-to-back layups late in the first quarter. Knecht finished the opening period with four points on an efficient 2 of 3 shooting from the field.

The young forward wasted no time finding his rhythm from beyond the arc, knocking down his first 3-pointer of the night early in the second quarter.

After showcasing his scoring ability both inside and beyond the arc, Knecht added to his tally from the free-throw line, confidently sinking both of his attempts. After connecting on three straight shots from the floor, Knecht missed his second attempt of the night, failing to convert another corner jumper.

Knecht made two more free throws and finished the half with 11 points, one rebound and one assist, shooting 3 of 6 from the floor, inlcuding 1 of 3 from 3-point range.

Knecht opened the second half in the starting lineup for the Lakers, replacing Gabe Vincent, who exited the game with an oblique strain and did not return. Despite logging significant minutes in the third quarter, Knecht didn’t attempt a single shot as Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves and D'Angelo Russell took charge on the offensive end.

The rookie showed no signs of hesitation, confidently sinking a corner 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter. He then scored four quick points, halting the Kings' 12-0 run that had trimmed the Lakers' 20-point lead down to just eight.