The Los Angeles Lakers won behind the late-game rally after the California Classic Summer League.
Before facing off against the San Antonio Spurs, the Los Angeles Lakers had a 1-1 record in the 2025 California Classic Summer League.
However, the iconic franchise finished the competition with an 89-88 victory over the Spurs. La Lakers sophomore guard Dalton Knecht played a key role in the Dub with a 25-point performance.
He also scored eight rebounds while shooting 50% off the field with 29 minutes of playing time.
At 24, Knecht’s expectations were to lead the Lakers’ summer league roster to multiple victories.
Knecht struggled in the first two games, but he silenced critics of the Spurs. After all, DK led the Lakers’ comeback victory with a 15-point contribution in the fourth quarter of the contest.
In return, Knecht won massive praise from Laker Nation with X.
“He’s just getting hot,” the fans wrote. Another was added, but “Hate is nothing to say now.”
“He’s actually a really good role player,” fans said.
“Knecht really stepped up,” the fourth fan wrote.
“He’s a dog that needs a little more time to play,” announced a fifth Laker fan.
Before his scoring explosion, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst urged Lakers fans to give Knecht to the breathing room. After all, he was considered one of the steals of the 2024 NBA Draft and then instantly traded with the Charlotte Hornets.
There is a cutthroat race in the NBA, especially due to the location of the Lakers’ caliber team. The fanbase expects nothing more than a glow from the players every night.
With Knecht’s recent poor form in mind, many have urged their teams to move on from security guards. However, after his performance vs. Spurs, it feels like they’ve returned to the bandwagon for the 24-year-old.
Come to think of it, don’t forget that Knecht was actually on fire before the Lakers completed the Luka Donsic deal last season.
Additionally, it appears that manager JJ Redick lost his trust in Knecht in the final half of the season. This is evident from playing in just four minutes in the 2025 NBA playoffs.
Austin Reeves recently helped Knecht to bounce back next season, and with recent summer league performances in mind, there’s no reason for the rest of the fanbase to be patient either.