LOS ANGELES — Dalton Knecht tied the NBA’s single-game rookie record with nine 3-pointers while scoring a career-high 37 points, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 124-118 Tuesday night for their sixth consecutive victory.
LeBron James had 26 points and 12 assists, and Anthony Davis had 26 points and 14 rebounds as the Lakers improved to 7-0 at home. Austin Reaves added 17 points for the defending NBA Cup champions, who improved to 2-0 in group play this season.
The Lakers hadn’t won six straight games since February 2021, shortly after their championship run in the Florida bubble.
Lauri Markkanen scored 25 points for the Jazz, who have lost three straight. Keyonte George scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, and Collin Sexton added nine of his 19 in the fourth.
Rui Hachimura missed his third straight game with a sprained ankle. Bronny James sat with a bruised heel.
Jazz: Another rough night for a rebuilding team, lowlighted by John Collins’ flagrant foul for striking Davis in the groin. The 43-point fourth quarter was impressive, but too late.
Lakers: Knecht has been outstanding since joining the starting lineup four games ago, racking up 24.3 points per game while hitting 21 3-pointers. He has been the catch-and-shoot threat long lacked by James and Davis.
Knecht hit 3-pointers on four consecutive possessions in the third quarter, getting the entire crowd on its feet. He scored 21 points in the third alone. His ninth 3-pointer put LA up by 25 early in the fourth, but he didn’t score again, and Utah trimmed the lead down the stretch.
Knecht tied the single-game rookie 3-pointer record shared by Rodrigue Beaubois (2010), Yogi Ferrell (2017) and Utah’s Keyonte George (2024).
Jazz: Visit San Antonio on Thursday to end their four-game trip.
Lakers: Host Orlando on Thursday.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
