Team C won both of their Rising Stars matchups, which means Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht will play in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday.
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The Lakers had some representation in the Rising Stars games, with Dalton Knecht participating as a member of Team C.
They won their semifinal contest against Team T 40-36. In that win, Knecht had seven points, four assists and four rebounds. In the final, Team C played Team G and won 25-14. In that matchup, Knecht ended the game with five points, two rebounds and one steal.
Team C will now participate in the NBA All-Star game, taking on Team Shaq, which features LeBron James and Steph Curry.
In the semifinal game, Knecht immediately started the action with a 3-pointer for Team C. He then had back-to-back assists and suddenly, Team C was up 10-2.
Dalton scored inside on a nice pocket pass and the lead was extended to double figures.
The first team to 40 in these semifinal games was deemed the winner and after a make by Jalen Wells, Team C was beyond the halfway mark to that target score.
Knecht came through with an emphatic dunk and Team C was cruising up 25-14.
Team T responded with a 7-0 run and suddenly, we were back in a tightly contested game. Trayce Jackson-Davis ended Team C's scoring drought with a dunk, extending the lead back up to six.
After Wells knocked down a three off a dime from Knecht, Team C was up 36-29.
With the game-sealing opportunity available, Team C went to Stephon Castle and he delivered, making the jumper to advance to the finals.
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Team G and Team M faced off to determine who would play Team C in the final. Team G emerged victorious, winning 40-39.
With a trip to the NBA All-Star Game on the line, the rules changed for the final. The first team to reach or surpass 25 points would be deemed the winner.
Zach Edey started the scoring for Team C with a dunk, but Team G responded with five straight points.
After a 3-pointer by Leonard Miller, Team G led 12-8. However, Team C went on a seven-point run and retook the lead. Castle was a force in this game and continued to attack the basket.
He converted on a pair of free throws to give Team C a 17-14 lead. Knecht finally impacted this game by scoring five straight points, including a gorgeous rainbow three. Suddenly, Team C needed just three points to make it to Sunday.
Knecht got a steal and Keyonte George sealed the game up with a 3-pointer off a Castle assist.
Key Takeaways
Overall, Knecht played well, his team advanced to the NBA All-Star Game and, most importantly, he didn’t get hurt. After a weird week that Knecht said “felt like a movie,” it’s nice to see his play get rewarded with a trip to the All-Star Game.
He’ll have a special chance on Sunday to take on his Lakers teammate LeBron James, who is part of Team Shaq in the first semifinal matchup of the All-Star Games new format. So, no matter what, there will be some Lakers representation in the championship game on Sunday.
