While the Lakers had their best showing of Summer League to wrap up the California Classic, it still ended in defeat as they fell to the Heat, 80-76, on Wednesday afternoon.
Dalton Knecht had his best game yet as a Laker, scoring 20 points with nine rebounds and an assist. Colin Castleton continued his great play with a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds with two steals, three blocks and three assists.
Bronny James had a rough game offensively but played excellent defense and grabbed five rebounds with three assists, two steals and three blocks. Maxwell Lewis pitched in with 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists, one steal and a block.
The Lakers jumped to a quick five-point lead and looked more energized and focused than they had in the previous two games. Castleton led the team offensively, even hitting a 3-pointer. Knecht looked more confident, nailing his first three and driving to the basketball to draw a foul.
After missing the last game, Bronny was back in the starting lineup and scored a layup off an assist from Knecht. Alondes Williams was off to a hot start for the Heat and helped them get back into it. With Castleton on the bench, Knecht took over offensively and was the first person from either team to score in double digits. It was a tie game at the end of the first.
The Heat took over in the second quarter with an 8-0 scoring run and the Lakers found themselves turning the ball over more. Blake Hinson, who had struggled to score in the last game, finally saw the ball go through the net. Nine straight points by LA cut the deficit to three after Miami had gone up by 10.
Despite his struggles offensively, Lewis was making an impact by grabbing rebounds, dishing dimes and blocking a shot. LA went on a 9-0 scoring run to retake the lead by four heading into halftime.
The Lakers extended their scoring run to 17-0 through the start of the third. Knecht’s shot was falling and he was also impressive with his rebounds. Much of the quarter saw the Lakers taking charge offensively with Knecht continuing to show off his skills.
Armel Traoré didn’t score the ball well, but he rebounded and had a block and steal. Miami’s Williams and Keshad Johnson scored 19 points each, and the Heat were up one at the end of the quarter.
The final frame began with the Lakers going on a 7-0 run to stop the momentum Miami had built towards the end of the third. Lewis was four for four in the second half after going zero for 10 in the first half.
With a minute left, the game was tied after the Heat scored eight straight. They then went up two, and with 18.9 seconds left, the Lakers had the ball but missed their shot attempt. The Heat made two free throws, which sealed the win.
Key Takeaways
Knecht and Castleton might be the duo to keep an eye on in the coming summer league games.
Bronny’s offense is stagnant for now, but defensively he was all over the place. The excellent defensive play will help his confidence offensively in due time.
This young Lakers team showed impressive growth between the first two games and now.
