The Dalton Knecht who stepped off the court after the Lakers’ win over the Spurs looked much more like the Dalton Knecht that we’re used to seeing.
In his first two NBA Summer League games this month, Knecht struggled to find the basket. He shot just 25% on 5-of-20 shooting, but the more concerning aspect was his 0-for-9 performance from three-point range.
As we said earlier in the week, though, it wasn’t time to panic despite the slow start. Knecht showed why on Tuesday night.
With internet rumors swirling about a potential confidence issue, Knecht dropped 25 points in the Lakers’ 89-88 win over San Antonio in the final game of the California Classic. Knecht played the second-most minutes on the team, 29, and hit 9-of-18 shots from the floor. He also went 50% from the three-point range, knocking down four of his eight attempts. Fifteen of his 25 points came in the fourth quarter as L.A. outscored S.A. 32-20 to earn the comeback victory.
DALTON KNECHT HEAT CHECK.
DARIUS BAZLEY FOR THE LEAD.15-5 @Lakers run to take a 1-point lead with 13.3 left on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/to2NPxRfe7
— NBA (@NBA) July 9, 2025
Knecht also added eight rebounds and didn’t turn the ball over once, which was particularly notable after his five-turnover showing in L.A.’s last outing against the Heat.
Dalton Knecht last night in his Summer League win‼️🔥
25 PTS / 8 REB / 4 3PM
pic.twitter.com/6CohAfUEtN— Tri-Star Network (@TriStar_Network) July 9, 2025
Twenty-five points on 50% shooting with 50% from the three-point line? That’s what we’re much more accustomed to seeing from the former Tennessee hooper.
DARIUS.
DALTON.
DYNAMIC DUO.Knecht’s 3 late threes and Bazley’s go-ahead putback win it for the @Lakers!
✨ 27p, 13r for Darius Bazley
✨ 25p, 8r Dalton Knecht pic.twitter.com/RyXfGjBF0O— NBA (@NBA) July 9, 2025
More From RTI: Jahmai Mashack Shows Exactly Why Grizzlies Drafted Him in First Summer League Game
Social media was awfully quiet on Tuesday night.
to those who were hating on dalton knecht, stay on that side pic.twitter.com/OwpdRibZpa
— Dalton Knecht Muse (@daltonkmuse) July 9, 2025
From his time at Tennessee to his movement-filled rookie season in the NBA, Knecht has always had a cool head and a strong work ethic. It’s no surprise to see Knecht bounce back with a massive scoring performance on Tuesday. We’ll see if Knecht can follow up on his final California Classic showing when the Lakers move to the full-league NBA 2K26 Summer League event next week in Las Vegas, but it would be tough to bet against a shooter like him.
Knecht’s next game should be a fun one. The Lakers kick off the Las Vegas Summer League with a matchup against the Dallas Mavericks on July 10, which will be the official NBA debut for No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg.
From there, the Lakers will have three more games before any sort of “postseason” summer league play.
Here’s a look at what’s left for Dalton Knecht and the L.A. Lakers this July:
July 10: vs. Mavericks (Las Vegas) – 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+
July 12: vs. Pelicans (Las Vegas) – 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+
July 14: vs. Clippers (Las Vegas) – 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+/NBA TV
July 17: vs. Celtics (Las Vegas) – 9 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+
