Bronny shines in Lakers narrow win over Hawks
The Lakers broke their losing streak with a victory last night against the winless Atlanta Hawks (0-2). Dalton Knecht was rested for the game, and Mike Trudell noted that the decision was made due to the intense schedule of practices and games over the past fortnight.
Missing their 17th overall NBA Draft pick, the Lakers played without their primary floor spacer and scorer. Zaccharie Risacher, the first overall pick, also sat out the game.
Bronny James had a standout game, his most efficient of the summer. He shot 5/11 from the field, including 2/5 from beyond the arc, while significantly reducing his turnovers. Before this exhibition, James had been averaging 4.3 points per game; after the victory, he tripled his average.
You can tell how much tonight’s performance meant to Bronny… he even got JJ’s stamp of approval at the end 💯pic.twitter.com/civeZoz9tx
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) July 18, 2024
The game was closely contested in the first half, but the Hawks surged ahead in the third quarter, outscoring the Lakers 31-19. Losing Armel Traore, who fouled out after playing 21 minutes, was a setback.
Tommy Kuhse also had a couple of turnovers and made costly mistakes late in the game but redeemed himself with a crucial three-pointer during crunch time that contributed to the win.
Blake Hinson ignited the Lakers’ comeback with four three-pointers, and Colin Castleton delivered a double-double performance with 17 points and 12 rebounds, missing just one field goal (8-9).
Despite being out of contention for the Summer League championship, Los Angeles will play their next game today at 6 PM PDT against the Cleveland Cavaliers, followed by a match against the Chicago Bulls on July 20th.
