Darius Bazley, Dalton Knecht help Lakers rally for California Classic win over Spurs
Lakers forward Darius Bazley led all players in scoring with 27 points on seven-for-nine shooting, hitting the game-sealing dunk. Bazley also grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.
Dalton Knecht was also pivotal in the Lakers' comeback win, adding 25 points and eight rebounds on 50% shooting, including four three pointers.
The Lakers got off to a slow start, shooting less than 40% in the first half, but they found their rhythm when it mattered.
Bronny James, still working on getting his conditioning back to game level, played just over five minutes and scored two points.
The Lakers will travel to Las Vegas and will play the Dallas Mavericks, led by No 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg, on Thursday.

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USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Mock trade gives Lakers a high-level 3-and-D guard
The Los Angeles Lakers have somewhat quietly assembled a pretty impressive roster for the 2025-26 season. After finishing this past season with a gaping hole at the center position and a lack of backcourt or wing defenders, they have added center Deandre Ayton, forward Jake LaRavia and former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart while also retaining backup center Jaxson Hayes. They did, however, lose 3-and-D forward Dorian Finney-Smith to the Houston Rockets, and as of now, they don't have any real 3-and-D players. It is assumed by many that the Lakers are done shaping their roster right now. However, they would likely love to move at least one of their expiring contracts for one more player who can make a consistent impact on both ends of the floor. Eddie Bitar of Fadeaway World suggested a mock trade with the Brooklyn Nets that would give L.A. guard Terance Mann for Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber and a 2032 second-round draft pick. "With Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia signed, and Marcus Smart bringing defensive grit to the rotation, the Lakers still needed one final jolt of athletic versatility off the bench," wrote Bitar. "Enter the three-way deal that would bring Terance Mann to L.A. Mann, newly acquired by the Nets in a three-team trade that sent Kristaps Porziņģis to Atlanta, offers just what the Lakers covet: length, perimeter defense, and hard-nosed effort at both ends. "Last season, Mann averaged 7.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 36.8% from three. His defensive impact was even more tangible, ranked among the league's top perimeter stoppers in contest rate and on-ball efficiency. Adding him to a rotation featuring LeBron, Luka, Smart, Ayton, and Reaves offers optimal balance: bench scoring, floor-spacing, and reliable wing defense in high-leverage minutes." Lakers fans may remember Mann from the five seasons and change he played for the Los Angeles Clippers. He was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in February and to Brooklyn a few weeks ago. The 28-year-old may not be the outstanding point-of-attack defender he was a few years ago. But at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, he can still defend at a high level, and he can effectively guard players at multiple positions both on and off the ball. However, both Vincent and Kleber and a second-round pick seem like too much to give up for a player who would, in all likelihood, come off the bench and has only started in 169 of his 412 career games in the NBA. Perhaps a trade in which the Lakers would acquire a player such as Mann but not overpay would be easier to pull off during the wintertime before the trade deadline, when teams may be willing to trade such players for a lesser return.


USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Lakers jersey history No. 1 — Javaris Crittenton
Through the 2024-25 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have had a total of 506 players suit up for them, going back to their days in Minneapolis. Some were forgettable, some were serviceable, some were good and a select few were flat-out legendary. As the Lakers approach their 80th season of existence (they were founded back in 1946 as the Detroit Gems in the National Basketball League), LeBron Wire is taking a look at each player who has worn their jersey, whether it has been a purple and gold one or the ones they donned back in the Midwest during their early years. We now take a look back at Javaris Crittenton, who had a brief stint with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2007-08 season. Crittenton, a 6-foot-5 guard, played one season at Georgia Tech University and averaged 14.4 points and 5.8 assists a game while showing solid leadership despite being a freshman. The Lakers took him with the No. 19 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. In 22 games with the Lakers during the 2007-08 season, he registered 3.3 points in 7.8 minutes a game. He was then sent away in that blockbuster February trade that brought the Purple and Gold Hall of Fame big man Pau Gasol. Crittenton spent some time with the Memphis Grizzlies before he was traded to the Washington Wizards early in the 2008-09 season. It was in the nation's capital that his career took a tragic turn. On Dec. 21, 2009, the guard got involved with star Gilbert Arenas in a locker room incident that involved guns. Both were eventually suspended for the rest of the season by the league, but that was just the beginning of Crittenton's poor bad decisions with firearms. In 2011, he allegedly shot Jullian Jones, a mother of four children, in the leg, and Jones eventually died as a result. He faced 12 charges as a result of the incident, which included an accusation that he had joined the Crips, a street gang in Southern California. Crittenton was sentenced to 23 years in prison, and he ended up serving 10 years before being released in 2023.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic shows off new physique in Men's Health
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic looks like he will arrive at training camp in a couple of months in the best shape of his professional basketball career. Clips of Donic's new-look physique have been posted on social media, and on Monday, July 28, Men's Health posted a feature story plus two sidebars detailing Doncic's diet and fitness routine. In photos, Doncic appears to have shed weight and added muscle. "Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better," Doncic told the magazine. As Doncic has become one of the best players in the NBA, he has also been criticized for his weight and conditioning. Working closely in the offseason with a training staff that that includes a physiotherapist and nutritionist, Doncic wants to be in the best shape of his life for the 2025-26 season. His dietary regimen includes fasting nearly 16 consecutive hours a day while consuming a high-protein, low-carb nutritional program that includes whey protein shakes. His workout plan includes weight lifting, resistance-band routines, agility and on-court drills. "This summer was just a little bit different," Doncic said in the story. "It kind of motivated me to be even better." Doncic, 26, played in just 50 games last season, the lowest of his career, and he did not make the All-Star or All-NBA team for the first time since 2020. He averaged 28.2 points 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists, but the Lakers, who acquired Doncic from Dallas last season in a much-scrutinized deal at the February trade deadline, were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round. The Lakers are trying to maximize a championship window with LeBron James alongside Doncic while preparing for a future with Doncic as the centerpiece of the roster. Doncic plans to play for Slovenia at Eurobasket, which runs from Aug. 27-Sept. 14. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Luka Doncic Men's Health story shows Lakers star's new physique