Dalton Knecht makes NBA playoff debut with Lakers
Former Vol Dalton Knecht played three minutes for the Lakers. He recorded five points and three rebounds. Knecht converted 2-of-4 field goal attempts and 1-of-3 three-point attempts in his first career NBA playoff game.
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Luka Doncic scored 37 points and LeBron James totaled 19 points for the Lakers. Game No. 2 of the best-of-seven first-round series will take place Tuesday at 10 p.m. EDT (TNT).
Knecht was selected in the first round of the 2024 NBA draft (No. 17) by Los Angeles.
He was a transfer from Northern Colorado and played for the Vols during the 2023-24 season under head coach Rick Barnes.
During his one season at Tennessee, Knecht averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He led the Vols to a SEC regular-season championship and an appearance the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history. Knecht was named SEC Player of the Year, SEC Newcomer of the Year and won the Julius Erving Award.
This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Former Vol Dalton Knecht makes NBA playoff debut with Lakers
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Even better, the race also earned him $50,000 — a career-changing sum in a sport whose longest-established, and highest-profile meet circuit comparatively paid Patterson one-fifth that amount for winning a 400 at one of its meets in late May. Yet months after he earned the money, the $50,000 owed to Patterson by Grand Slam Track still has not been paid, he said, adding he believes the money will arrive in September. Under a funding shortfall, the circuit ended its season after only three meets, and it has yet to pay any athletes for prize money from its first two competitions, in Jamaica and Florida. The company is "recapitalizing," a spokesperson said in a statement, and "is anticipating investor funds to hit our account imminently, and the athletes are our top priority. Once these funds are received on our end, we will work to immediately process them to the athletes." 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