The Los Angeles Lakers dropped their fourth consecutive game Friday night, falling 131-126 to the Denver Nuggets. Despite the loss, rookie Dalton Knecht delivered another standout performance, making franchise history with his scoring display.
With eight players unavailable, including LeBron James and Luka Doncic, the Lakers entered the contest as heavy underdogs but nearly pulled off an upset. Reaves led the charge with a dominant all-around performance, finishing with 37 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds, and four steals. Knecht provided a crucial scoring boost, adding 32 points, two rebounds, and one assist while knocking down five of his 13 three-point attempts.
Dalton Knecht joins Kyle Kuzma in exclusive Lakers rookie scoring feat in loss to Nuggets
According to StatsMuse, Knecht became the first Lakers rookie since Kyle Kuzma to record multiple 30-point games in a single season. The 23-year-old previously accomplished the feat in a win over the Utah Jazz earlier this season, exploding for a career-high 37 points on 12-for-16 shooting from the field and 9-for-12 from beyond the arc.
Knecht has shown steady improvement throughout his rookie campaign. While he is averaging 9.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game on 46.8% shooting from the field and 36.6% from three this season, his production has increased significantly in recent contests. Over the last five games, he has averaged 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 50% from the field and 38.9% from three.
The Lakers, now 40-25, dropped to the fifth seed in the Western Conference standings following the loss. They remain two games behind the second-seeded Nuggets (43-24) despite enduring a winless four-game road trip. With just a handful of games left in the regular season, Los Angeles will need to regain momentum to avoid slipping further in the standings.
The team will now return home for a five-game homestand, which includes two back-to-back sets. They will face the Phoenix Suns (31-36) on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC before hosting the San Antonio Spurs (27-38) on Monday. This stretch will provide the Lakers with a critical opportunity to solidify their positioning in the Western Conference playoff race.
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