After losing in both of their games earlier this week in the California Classic, the Los Angeles Lakers notched their first NBA Summer League victory on Friday by getting past the Golden State Warriors, 103-96.
The fans in Las Vegas were treated to a great all-around afternoon and evening of basketball, and the Lakers certainly contributed to the atmosphere. They fell behind early by the score of 13-2, but from that point on, they took control of the game and won all four quarters.
Los Angeles has several intriguing youngsters on its summer league roster this year, and three of them stood out in this contest.
Max Christie continues to look outstanding
Christie really looks like he knows what he’s doing on the court during this year’s NBA Summer League. On Friday he scored 22 points while shooting 6-of-11 from the field, 3-of-5 from 3-point range and 7-of-7 from the free throw line.
He also provided the highlight of the game when he got up and posterized Warriors big man Jayce Johnson.
The Lakers have been utilizing Christie as more of a ball-handler rather than just having him play off the ball, and he looks comfortable bringing the ball up the court and initiating action.
He has also been flashing his defensive potential, as he finished with two blocked shots while adding seven rebounds.
Cole Swider continues to connect from downtown
Swider, an undrafted rookie last year, has been shooting the ball well so far in summer league play, and he has only gotten better as the week has progressed.
He shot 3-of-6 from 3-point range in the Lakers’ first game on Monday, 4-of-7 on Wednesday and on Friday he went 5-of-8 from downtown, giving him 19 points in 26 minutes.
The Lakers still need more 3-point shooting and depth at the big forward position, and perhaps Swider is proving he is the man to fill those holes.
D'Moi Hodge showed he can hit the deep ball
Hodge is a 6-foot-4 undrafted guard Los Angeles recently signed to a two-way contract, and although he struggled in his first summer league game, he has improved since.
He went 2-of-4 from downtown on Wednesday versus the San Antonio Spurs, and on Friday, he was 3-of-8 from that distance, giving him 11 points in 22 minutes.
While with the University of Missouri last season, Hodge shot 40.0 percent from beyond the arc on 7.1 attempts a game. Could he be an option for the Lakers to call up from the G League during this coming regular season?
