After dropping the opener of the California Classic on Saturday afternoon, the Los Angeles Lakers continued Summer League play looking for their first win on Sunday against the Golden State Warriors.
The Lakers were without Bronny James in this one as the second-round draft pick sat out due to left knee swelling. That gave other guys more opportunities to show what they can do, but the team still struggled as the Lakers fell to 0-2 with a 92-68 blowout loss to the Warriors.
Similar to the opener, the Lakers got off to a slow start in this one, looking discombobulated offensively with the Warriors jumping out to an early double-digit lead. Blake Hinson came off the bench again and immediately injected some life into L.A.’s offense with a pair of triples.
But with the Warriors staying hot and key Lakers like Dalton Knecht and Maxwell Lewis struggling, the deficit was 31-17 at the end of the first.
Two-way rookie Armel Traore flashed his potential versatility in the second quarter, crashing the offensive glass for a putback layup and then draining a 3-pointer. While Knecht started to get going offensively by getting to the line for seven first-half points, he struggled from the field at just 1-of-6 and the Lakers went into the halftime locker room trailing 49-34.
Knecht started to get going in the third quarter with a dunk and then a steal and three-point play. Lewis continued to struggle, on the other hand, and his frustrations continued to mount when he picked up a flagrant one foul while battling for positioning.
Neither team was able to shoot well from deep, but the Lakers couldn’t hit anything from inside either. Golden State continued to build its lead and had a comfortable 73-50 advantage at the end of the third quarter.
Sean East II, who started the first game for the Lakers but came off the bench in this one, was a source of offense with some midrange shots while everyone else continued to struggle.
It was a particularly rough outing for Lewis, who did not score and went 0-of-8 from the field in 19 minutes with the Lakers going on to suffer the defeat. The Lakers as a team shot just 25% on the night.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers will close out the California Classic on Wednesday afternoon against the Miami Heat before heading to Las Vegas for the league’s annual Summer League. The expectation is that Bronny James will be back in the lineup against the Heat, although it will depend on what happens with the swelling in his knee.
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