First-round draft pick Dalton Knecht has a game-high 25 points, while Bronny James (eight points) struggles with his shot in a 99-80 defeat. The Lakers next face the Celtics on Monday.
Lakers guard Dalton Knecht drives as Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard defends during the first half of their NBA Summer League opener on Friday in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. dunks against Houston Rockets center Orlando Robinson (59) during the first half of an NBA summer league basketball game Friday, July 12, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Lakers guard Dalton Knecht looks to pass against the Houston Rockets during the first half of an NBA summer league basketball game Friday, July 12, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. drives as the Houston Rockets’ AJ Griffin defends during the first half of their NBA Summer League opener on Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
Lakers forward Maxwell Lewis dunks against Houston Rockets forward Cam Whitmore during the first half of an NBA summer league basketball game Friday, July 12, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Houston Rockets guard Nate Williams looks on during a break in the action against the Lakers during the first half of an NBA summer league basketball game Friday, July 12, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
The Lakers’ Colin Castleton dunks in front of the Houston Rockets’ N’Faly Dante during the first half of their NBA Summer League opener on Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
The Lakers’ Blake Hinson, right, looks to steal the ball from the Houston Rockets guard Nate Williams (19) during the first half of an NBA summer league basketball game Friday, July 12, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Lakers guard Tommy Kuhse shoots against the Houston Rockets during the first half of an NBA summer league basketball game Friday, July 12, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Lakers guard Dalton Knecht passes the ball over the Houston Rockets’ Nate Hinton during the first half of their NBA Summer League opener on Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. gets to the basket as the Houston Rockers’ N’Faly Dante defends during the first half of their NBA Summer League opener on Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. looks on during the first half of an NBA summer league basketball game against the Houston Rockets, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
The Lakers’ Trent Forrest drives to the basket against the Houston Rockets during the first half of an NBA summer league basketball game Friday, July 12, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. drives past Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard during the first half of their NBA Summer League opener on Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
Lakers guard Dalton Knecht brings the ball up the court against the Houston Rockets during the first half of an NBA summer league basketball game Friday, July 12, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Houston Rockets center Orlando Robinson (59) and Lakers center Moses Brown (40) battle for a rebound during the first half of an NBA summer league basketball game Friday, July 12, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. takes a jump shot during the first half of their NBA Summer League opener against the Houston Rockets on Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. looks on during the first half of their NBA Summer League opener against the Houston Rockets on Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard dunks against the Lakers during the second half of an NBA summer league basketball game Friday, July 12, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. looks on from midcourt during the second half of an NBA summer league basketball game against the Houston Rockets, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. stands at midcourt during the second half of an NBA summer league basketball game against the Houston Rockets, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard drives the ball against the Lakers during the second half of an NBA summer league basketball game Friday, July 12, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard dunks during the second half of their NBA Summer League opener against the Lakers on Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. drives during the first half of their NBA Summer League game against the Houston Rockets on Friday in Las Vegas. James was held to eight points on 3-for-14 shooting in a 99-80 loss. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. looks on during the second half of their NBA Summer League opener against the Houston Rockets on Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard, center, sits on the bench during the second half of an NBA summer league basketball game against the Lakers, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
LAS VEGAS — The crowd inside the Thomas & Mack Center is typically extremely pro-Lakers.
That was especially the case in the Lakers’ first Las Vegas Summer League game on Friday against the Houston Rockets.
Fans were eager every time second-round draft pick Bronny James, the son of Lakers star LeBron James, had the ball in his hands.
The younger James, selected No. 55 overall last month after one season at USC, rewarded them early, converting a contested layup for his first points to a loud ovation from the fans in attendance and slamming down a dunk a few minutes later to put him at six points in the game’s opening five minutes.
“Just the atmosphere,” said James, whose father is with the U.S. Olympic team in Abu Dhabi ahead of the Paris Games. “A lot of people coming out and coming to support us.”
But the “oohs” and “ahhs” dwindled as the game went on, with the Rockets creating separation behind a 28-19 advantage in the second quarter and a 26-16 third en route to a 99-80 victory over the Lakers.
The Lakers remain winless in summer league play after going 0-3 in the smaller California Classic in San Francisco.
First-round pick Dalton Knecht had his best game so far this summer, finishing with a game-high 25 points on 9-for-18 shooting (5 for 11 from 3-point range) to go with six rebounds, four assists, a blocked shot and a steal.
“It just fell,” Knecht said. “I mean, I always stay confident in my shot and I know my teammates got my back. So does the coaching staff. So no matter what, I’m just going to let it fly.”
Friday was the first time Knecht shot at least 40% from the field and from behind the arc in his four games.
“Just continuing to get more NBA reps versus NBA players,” Lakers summer league and South Bay Lakers coach Dane Johnson said. “He’s slowly finding that. We all want it right away, even me, like I want this thing to click right away. But it takes time.
“He’s going to be fine. He showed spurts, especially at the end, coming off screens, knocking down threes, which he’s capable of and he’s going to do in the NBA.”
The 6-foot-2 James finished with eight points but on 3-for-14 shooting, including missing all eight of his 3-point attempts, to go with five rebounds, two steals and three turnovers to continue his offensive struggles.
“Always telling him to be aggressive,” Johnson said. “We’ll live with the threes he shot [on Friday]. He’s going to make those going forward. Just again, getting more reps at it. He was aggressive at the beginning and he’s going to keep building on that.”
James has scored 15 points on 6-for-26 shooting (0 for 12 from 3-point range) in his three summer league games so far (he sat out one).
“I just feel like I’m in a little slump right now,” he said. “The shot hasn’t been falling.”
New Lakers head coach JJ Redick spoke with ESPN during the second quarter Friday and in the on-air interview said that he has told Bronny James to focus on defense and what will be an intense player development program that the team will create for him.
“He had a heart procedure last year, up-and-down freshman year, obviously going through the pre-draft process, there’s a conditioning element to being able to play that way defensively,” Redick said. “But overall, we like what we’ve seen in practice. We like what we’ve seen in Summer League.”
Two-way big man Colin Castleton finished with a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double.
The Rockets were led by Reed Sheppard’s 23 points and five assists. The No. 3 pick in the draft also had four rebounds and three blocks.
The Lakers’ next game is Monday night against the Boston Celtics at the Thomas & Mack Center.
