Lakers News: How Many Points Did Bronny James Score in Suns Game?
Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard Bronny James was an afterthought among rookie guards during L.A.'s penultimate preseason outing Thursday night.
That's because former Tennessee Volunteers shooting guard Dalton Knecht, the No. 17 pick by L.A. this year, put on a show, helping the Lakers best the Phoenix Suns 128-122 in overtime. Los Angeles improved to a 2-3 record on the year, and will wrap up its exhibition run Friday night against the Golden State Warriors.
In 31:52 off the Lakers' bench, the 6-foot-6 wing scored 35 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field (8-of-13 from beyond the 3-point arc) and 7-of-8 shooting from the charity stripe, while also grabbing seven rebounds, blocking two shots, swiping a pair of steals, and passing for one assist.
Bronny James, son of All-NBA Third Team Los Angeles forward LeBron James , was drafted with the No. 55 pick following a challenging freshman season at USC. He's had a rough preseason thus far, but enjoyed probably his best game yet.
Read more: LeBron James Reacts To Sharing NBA Court with Bronny For First Time Ever
Across 17:16 of action off the bench, the 20-year-old scored just four points, while shooting an efficient 2-of-4 from the field, and two rebounds.
His most intriguinig stat, however, was a +17 plus-minus, the best such metric for either the Lakers or the Suns on the night. That means Los Angeles outscored Phoenix by 17 points during the 6-foot-2 point guard's 17 minutes on the court.
James' most memorable moment during the game, however, came when 14-time All-Star Suns power forward Kevin Durant rejected him at the rim with a thunderous block.
James was playing big minutes down the stretch against an intimidating Phoenix club. There's always a risk of being shown up when an undersized guard cuts inside.
Bronny James inked a four-year, $7.9 million deal with Los Angeles this summer, a rarely bullish move from the Lakers for a player taken so late in the draft. Los Angeles holds a team option on the final season of the agreement.
Los Angeles has been the subject of criticism for taking a flier on its second-best player's son, when it was clear that James would be a long-term developmental project and was not ready to contribute in a meaningful way this year.
In his first five preseason games, the younger James is logging a disappointing 1.6 points while slashing .200/.000/.000. He's also averaging 0.8 blocks a night.
Los Angeles anticipates it will work on growing James' game with its G League affiliate squad, the South Bay Lakers, who share an El Segundo practice facility with Los Angeles.
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This story was originally published October 18, 2024, 1:58 PM.
