Dalton Knecht Stats Tonight: Lakers rookie bounces back from scoreless game in tough loss vs. Luka Doncic-less Mavericks (Jan. 7)

Dalton Knecht and the LA Lakers faced an injury-depleted Dallas Mavericks team at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Tuesday. While the Lakers had both superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis in action, the Mavericks were missing Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

Meanwhile, the Lakers rookie put together a solid performance, finishing with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-5 from beyond the arc. In 16 minutes, he also tallied one block and one turnover, ending the game with a plus/minus of -8.

Dalton Knecht through 4 quarters

Knecht continued to play his role off the bench for the Purple and Gold, checking into the game late in the first quarter. In 3:22 of playing time during the opening period, the rookie attempted one 3-point shot but failed to connect, making little impact.

The Lakers forward quickly opened his scoring account early in the second quarter, knocking down a two-point shot, an encouraging sight for both Knecht and the team, especially after he went scoreless in 17 minutes during the previous game against the Houston Rockets.

Shortly after, Knecht missed a contested layup but was fouled on the play. He headed to the free throw line, converting one of two attempts. He later attempted another 3-pointer but couldn’t find the mark.

By halftime, the former Tennessee standout had tallied three points on 1-of-3 shooting, including 0-of-2 from beyond the arc, in eight minutes. He also made one of his two free throws and registered a block.

Dalton Knecht caught fire in the fourth quarter, delivering a crucial offensive spark for the Lakers when they needed it most. The rookie drained three consecutive shots, including two from beyond the arc, helping the Purple and Gold cut the deficit to 10 points.

After his impressive scoring burst, Knecht eventually cooled off, missing a contested 3-pointer from the corner. However, he quickly bounced back, making a smart backdoor cut and finishing an easy layup off a perfect pass from LeBron James, bringing his total to 10 points for the quarter.