The Los Angeles Lakers had Dalton Knecht’s back after the rookie took a dangerous blow from New Orleans Pelicans forward Bruce Brown.
The Lakers led the Pelicans 96-76 with just under three minutes left in the third quarter at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif. Knecht had what appeared to be an uncontested fastbreak opportunity after a New Orleans turnover.
But as the Lakers rookie rose up for a likely dunk, Brown grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him to the ground. Knecht’s teammates came to his aid in a hurry.
Luka Doncic went over to shield Knecht and shoved Brown out of the way. Jarred Vanderbilt then charged at Brown just as referees came in to defuse the situation.
Here’s another angle of the foul and subsequent altercation.
Brown was hit with a flagrant 1 foul. Knecht split the free throws to give the Lakers a 97-76 lead.
Knecht had a solid performance off the Lakers’ bench. The Tennessee alum poured in 13 points on 5/9 shooting in a 136-115 Lakers win. He was also a part of an epic highlight that led to a LeBron James alley-oop slam.
Several fans wondered if the Lakers’ failed trade involving Knecht would affect the team’s chemistry. On Tuesday, the vibes between Knecht and his teammates could not have been better.
