LAS VEGAS — Cole Swider scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Lakers to a 94-81 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in an NBA Summer League game on Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Swider shot 8 for 17 from the field, including a 4-for-9 showing from 3-point range, to go with 10 rebounds, four assists and a steal. With his father, Lakers star LeBron James, watching the team from a courtside seat, Bronny James added 14 points on 5-for-11 shooting (1 for 5 from behind the arc) to go with three assists, two steals and one blocked shot in 24 minutes.
Darius Bazley stood out with 12 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and five blocks despite a 4-for-12 night at the free-throw line. Christian Koloko had his best outing of summer league play with 13 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and three blocks. Arthur Kaluma (12 points) and RJ Davis (nine points, five assists) provided a spark off the bench.
The Lakers (3-2 overall this summer, 1-1 in Las Vegas) led by just three points with five minutes to play before using a 12-0 run to secure the victory. Bazley started the run with a long 2-point jumper, then DJ Steward (nine points) and Swider added 3-pointers. Bazley and James each added a free throw before Koloko made a short jumper to cap the surge for an 84-69 lead with 2:31 left.
The Lakers got off to a slow start. The Pelicans opened a 9-0 lead while the Lakers missed 10 of their first 11 shots, but James and the Lakers found their rhythm and held a 22-19 lead by the end of the first quarter. The Lakers held a 40-36 lead at halftime and and held a 64-59 advantage going into the fourth quarter.
Antonio Reeves paced the Pelicans (0-2) with 20 points, six rebounds and three steals, and first-round draft pick Derik Queen had 12 points and 13 rebounds in 27 minutes. Jeremiah Fears had 15 points on 5-for-21 shooting.
Second-year swingman Dalton Knecht was held out of the game for the Lakers. Second-round pick Adou Thiero, whom the Lakers selected with the No. 36 pick in last month’s draft, is not participating in the team’s summer league games. He’s in the final stages of his return-to-play process from a left knee ailment he dealt with at Arkansas and is expected to be fully cleared in time for training camp.
The Lakers’ next summer league game is against the Clippers on Monday at 7:30 p.m.