How many points did Dalton Knecht score against Pelicans? Closer look as Lakers rookie returns to lineup (Apr. 4)

Dalton Knecht made his highly anticipated return to the LA Lakers lineup in Friday's clash against the New Orleans Pelicans. Rui Hachimura sitting out on the second night of a back-to-back opened up playing time for the first-round pick, who has picked up multiple DNPs and seen his minutes reduced to single digits as the Lakers shrunk their rotation ahead of the playoffs.

However, the team's offensive struggles had started to pile up, especially their bench production. Amid these issues, fans desperately demanded coach JJ Redick to play Knecht more, who was in tremendous form before falling out of the rotation.

Before Friday's game, Redick mentioned the Lakers still had faith in him and that he would play against New Orleans.

Here's how Knecht performed:

How many points did Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht score against Pelicans?

Dalton Knecht made a blistering return to the lineup for the Lakers. He entered the game with three minutes left in the first quarter and immediately made an impact with a tip-in layup, followed by two consecutive 3s, scoring eight points in that short span.

He earned five minutes of action in the second quarter and made that count, too. Knecht added four points in that stretch with a fadeaway jumper and a two-handed jam on the break.

Knecht scored 12 points and one rebound, shooting 5 of 7, including 2 of 4 from 3 in the opening two quarters, playing 8:30 minutes. He was a +/- +7. Knecht was the leading scorer for LA, with over two minutes left in the half.

Dalton Knecht didn't make much impact with his shotmaking in the second half. Despite a longer 12-minute stint in the final two quarters, Knecht went scoreless after missing his 3 attempts, including two from the 3-point line. Nevertheless, he finished with a box +/- of +12, tied for the second highest next to Luka Doncic.

Knecht made another compelling case to crack the playoff rotation, especially when the bench is misfiring. His offensive ceiling far outweighs his defensive shortcomings.