LOS ANGELES (AP) — They say “shooters shoot,” but Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht redefined the phrase last night, morphing into a human flamethrower during the Lakers’ thrilling 124-118 victory. Nine—yes, nine—three-pointers rained down like confetti at a championship parade, and Staples Center (yes, we’re still calling it that) hasn’t rocked this hard since Kobe dropped 60 in his farewell.
It wasn’t just the points—it was the style. Midway through his 37-point masterpiece, Knecht pulled a move straight out of the Michael Jordan playbook: the iconic shrug. The fans went berserk. Michael might have shrugged to say, “I’m just too good,” but Knecht’s version was more humble: “Rui [Hachimura] told me I needed a 3-point celebration. I blanked and, well, here we are,” Knecht laughed.
Not bad for a guy who was picked 17th in the draft and labeled “too old” by some NBA scouts. Somewhere, a few front offices are frantically searching for their scouting reports, muttering, “Wait… he did this in college too?“
Hotter Than LA Traffic in August
Dalton Knecht didn’t just play basketball last night; he conducted a symphony. The third quarter was his magnum opus: 21 points, four consecutive threes, and a 21st-century version of “Anything you can do, I can do better.” When the fourth quarter started with another Knecht bomb from deep, it was less a basketball game and more a pyrotechnics display.
“I was in a rhythm,” Knecht said with a shrug (his favorite move of the night). “My teammates kept finding me, and I just let it fly.”
Anthony Davis couldn’t contain his excitement: “When Dalton’s cooking like that, all we have to do is sit back, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the show.” Rumor has it LeBron James has already added Knecht to his “My New Favorite Teammates” Instagram reel.
The Redick Connection: A Shooter’s Paradise
Lakers head coach JJ Redick, a man who knows a thing or two about knocking down threes, was practically beaming during the post-game presser. “Watching Dalton shoot like that is like reliving my best days, except he might actually be better at it,” Redick quipped. “His shooting doesn’t just add points; it adds vibes. And in basketball, vibes win games.”
Redick’s analysis of Knecht’s performance? “It’s like being in the flow state. No hesitation, no doubt. Just pure buckets.” Somewhere in the league, a rival coach just Googled “How to stop a flow state.”
A Rookie’s Rise to Stardom
In just his fourth start, Knecht is averaging 24.3 points per game and a preposterous 67.7% from deep. If that’s not absurd enough, he’s hit 21 of his last 31 threes. Those are video game numbers—on rookie difficulty, with the sliders turned all the way up.
LeBron James, the NBA’s eternal basketball sage, admitted, “I didn’t think Dalton would fall to us at 17, but man, am I glad he did. It’s like Christmas came early.” Austin Reaves, already dubbed Knecht’s unofficial shooting buddy, might be regretting all those “Welcome to the Lakers” text messages. “I didn’t know I was hyping up the guy who’d take all my shots,” Reaves joked.
From College Star to NBA Steal
Knecht’s story is one for the underdog lovers. After five years in college ball (which some scouts apparently treated like a lifetime sentence), he averaged 21.7 points at Tennessee and earned All-American honors. But concerns about his defense and age let him slip in the draft—and land in the perfect spot.
For the Lakers, who desperately needed a floor-spacing sharpshooter to complement LeBron and AD, Knecht isn’t just a nice surprise; he’s a jackpot.
What’s Next?
The Lakers are now 10-4 with a six-game win streak, their longest in nearly four years. Knecht’s emergence is like adding a turbocharger to a Lamborghini—they were already good, but now they’re terrifying.
As for Knecht, his performances have fans buzzing, scouts shaking their heads, and opponents desperately trying to game-plan. But if last night proved anything, it’s this: you can’t game-plan for a guy who’s that on fire.
So, keep your eyes on the Lakers, because Dalton Knecht isn’t just heating up—he’s igniting an entire city. And somewhere in the Staples Center rafters, you just know Kobe’s smiling down, nodding in approval.
