The Lakers Stun the Spurs in Their Second Summer League Victory
Despite Dylan Harper, the second overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, not playing. The Lakers fought until the very end and ultimately stunned the Spurs for a one-point victory. That Lakers win was one of the most impressive wins I've seen the team have in months. It signified why the team needs to be more gritty and battle more. No title on the line, barely anyone in the crowd, and it's just the third summer league game. The Lakers' rookies sent a message that they are ready to take the Summer League Championship Game.
Dalton Knecht finally came alive in this game, scoring 25 points and shooting 50% from the field. Knecht hit timely threes in the last two minutes of the game to give the Lakers the energy they needed to pull off the comeback. The Lakers were trailing by as many as 14 points going into that fourth quarter. Knecht and Darius Bazley scored the last 17 points for the Lakers as part of a 17-five run to win. Bazley was blazing the court in the game, scoring 27 points to help Knecht and Cole Swider win it for L.A.
The Lakers have a strong core of young rookies who have impressed many in their first three games. The previous three, along with DJ Steward, have been a relentless group who don’t seem to care about being the best player on the court. They just care about winning, and it feels very refreshing as a Lakers fan to see that fight and hunger come from the rookies. This is the type of fight Lakers players on the main roster need to showcase if they hope to win a championship before Lebron James retires.
If that Laker core in the Summer League finishes play the same way they started, I wouldn't be surprised to see some of these rookies see their way into the Crypto.com Arena come Fall. Bronny James did not contribute much besides scoring in the opening quarter. Look for him to pick it up against the Mavericks and Cooper Flag. The Lakers players weren’t the only ones on fire in the game; David Jones-Garcia for the Spurs dominated the Lakers offensively throughout, providing another solid showcase for the young Spurs team.
