The Lakers look to snap their losing streak as they wrap up Summer League against the Nuggets.
The Lakers are down to their final Summer League game, where they will take on the Denver Nuggets. Los Angeles looks to conclude the tournament on a winning note after losing back-to-back games.
Start time and TV schedule
Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets
When: 7 p.m. PT, July 18
Where: Thomas & Mack Center
Watch: NBA TV
Just like that, the Lakers’ summer stint is close to over. Dating back to the California Classic, they had a fair share of wins, losses, disappointing performances, key players who stood out and ones that didn’t show up consistently. There were a ton of takeaways within the last two weeks, some of which may even possibly impact the parent team this upcoming season.
I’ve talked about Bronny James’ improvement in my most recent preview and how he’s miles better compared to how he performed in last year’s Summer League. In Thursday’s loss to the Celtics, the 20-year-old backed up his performance by scoring 18 points to go along with five assists and three rebounds. James’ South Bay Lakers teammate, Christian Koloko, joined the party by contributing 12 points, five rebounds and six blocks.
That’s a good sign for the Lakers, especially if they’re invested in both James and Koloko’s future. While the latter currently doesn’t have an active contract with the purple and gold, he’s certainly made a case for himself again this summer. Both players have the opportunity to shine once again versus the Nuggets on Friday.
The Nuggets, who are also going to be on the second night of a back-to-back, are currently winless (0-3) in this year’s tournament. That’s not a surprise when you realize how young and inexperienced their roster is. Denver didn’t have a draft pick this year, so they’re relying on the likes of DaRon Holmes II, Hunter Tyson and E.J. Liddell to carry their team this summer.
Unfortunately, Darius Bazley — who was having a productive summer stint over the last two weeks — suffered what appeared to be a horrible injury. Safe to say Bazley isn’t going to suit up for the last game of the summer and prayers up to him for a speedy recovery.
Aside from the three aforementioned names, it would be nice to see Dalton Knecht — who has had an up-and-down summer stint — lead the way in this one. Since suffering from cramps two games ago, DK has been passive on offense and just can’t seem to get into rhythm. Hopefully, he has another good game in him to wrap things up in Vegas.
Outside of DK, it would be cool to see a strong team win. They might not have been the strongest and perfect team to root for, but each player has a story, and if balling out one last time helps them achieve what they want to, then it’s time for them to go all out in this one.
Let’s see who can lead the Lakers to victory against the Nuggets on Friday night, as they look to close out the tournament with a feel-good victory.
Notes and Updates
- Eric Dixon has officially been ruled out for Summer League with a right foot injury.
- We’ll be live on Playback for this one, so come join us!
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You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.