The hottest show in Hollywood returns Thursday night as rookie Dalton Knecht takes the floor for the Los Angeles Lakers against the visiting Orlando Magic.
Knecht’s three-point prowess has already been on full display just 14 games into his NBA career. The 6-foot-6 sharpshooter tied an NBA rookie record with nine made three-pointers in Tuesday’s 124-118 victory over the Utah Jazz.
Knecht went 9-of-12 (75 percent) from beyond the arc on Tuesday and is shooting 21-of-31 (67.8 percent) over his last four games. He has emerged as the ideal shooting partner for LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
His hot streak aligns with the Lakers’ six-game winning streak. Los Angeles also boasts a perfect 7-0 home record this season, making them one of three teams, along with Cleveland and Orlando, unbeaten at home.
Anthony Davis leads the Lakers with averages of 30.7 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, but Knecht’s career-high 37 points on Tuesday boosted his season average to 11.3 points per game and 24.3 points over his last four games.
The Magic will play in Los Angeles for the second consecutive night after losing 104-93 to the Clippers on Wednesday, ending their six-game winning streak. This streak occurred while Paolo Banchero was sidelined with an oblique injury. The Magic held opponents under 100 points during their winning run until the Clippers broke that mark.
Second-year guard Anthony Black is finding his rhythm, with five double-digit scoring games in his last eight outings. He led the team with 17 points on Wednesday and had a season-high 20 points in a 109-99 road win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday. Black averaged 4.6 points last season and has increased his average to 9.0 this season, with 11.3 points over his last eight games. He also tallied 17 assists over his last two games.
Franz Wagner, the latest Eastern Conference Player of the Week, leads Orlando with 22.3 points per game, while Jalen Suggs averages 15 points. With Banchero (five games) and Wendell Carter Jr. (six games) averaging 8.8 rebounds out, Goga Bitadze leads the Magic with 6.4 rebounds per game.
Carter missed his ninth consecutive game with a left foot injury but might return against the Lakers. He was listed as questionable before being held out on Wednesday.
