The Lakers look to get back in the win column by beating the Celtics on Thursday.
Now officially out of semifinal contention, the Lakers are down to their last two games of Las Vegas Summer League. The first one will be on Thursday against their rivals, the Boston Celtics, who have a 2-1 record in the tournament thus far.
Start time and TV schedule
Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics
When: 6 p.m. PT, July 17
Where: Thomas & Mack Center
Watch: ESPN
The Lakers’ stint in this year’s Summer League can be viewed as underwhelming based on game results, but regardless, there have been a handful of takeaways across the last three games.
The improvement of Bronny James has been evident this summer.
We saw that after he put together his best and most complete performance yet, scoring 17 points along with five rebounds and five assists against the Clippers.
Compared to last year’s Summer League — where even Jaylen Brown was caught slamming Bronny on camera — the 6’3 guard has shown that he belongs on the court and has a shot at a larger role this season.
21 a game in the G. 39% from 3 on 8 attempts per on these off-the-bounce type shots. Nice to see it translate in the summer. pic.twitter.com/ANUuaJ4Ife
— Raj C. (@RajChipalu) July 16, 2025
Then there’s Dalton Knecht, who has had an up-and-down summer.
Knecht isn’t really making a case for more minutes. His play has been largely a disappointment. He put up just eight points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes of action in their loss against the Clippers.
It would be nice to see the University of Tennessee product bounce back, especially in the upcoming back-to-back games.
Cole Swider has had a good summer with the Lakers. He has a previous connection to Los Angeles, having played on a two-way contract with the team back in 2022.
Swider continues to make a case that he belongs in the NBA. He’s been the Lakers’ best player all Summer League and is averaging 19.7 points, 8.3 rebounds per game and shooting 48.3% from 3-point shooting in Vegas.
There’s also DJ Steward, who has been playing his cards right for the Lakers this summer. Steward, who has been looking to land an NBA contract since 2021, is averaging 10 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game in Las Vegas Summer League.
Steward’s production is evident outside the statsheet with his ability to contribute on both ends. With two games left on the Lakers’ schedule, it’ll be nice to see Steward keep his play up in hopes of him landing with a team in the NBA, whether or not it’s with the purple and gold.
The Lakers will face a veteran-laden Celtics team at least by Summer League standards. Look out for Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman and Miles Norris as they’re the notable key players headlining the roster. They’re technically also still vying for a spot in the semifinals, so expect Boston to go hard in this one.
As for the Lakers, it would be nice to see them take this one seriously despite no longer being in contention for the title.
There will be a temptation to mail in these back-to-back games, but these are opportunities for the players to prove their worth and make a name for themselves.
Let’s see who stands out in these last two games and whether or not the Lakers will be able to defeat their rivals on Thursday.
Notes and Updates
- Eric Dixon has officially been ruled out for Summer League with a right foot injury.
- We will be live on Playback for this game, so be sure to join us!
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You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.