Former Vol Dalton Knecht plays 19 minutes for Lakers in loss

Knecht scores 5 points and grabs 4 rebounds in Lakers' 123-87 defeat to Thunder

Apr. 8, 2026 at 11:35am

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Dalton Knecht, a former player for the University of Tennessee Volunteers, saw 19 minutes of action for the Los Angeles Lakers in their 123-87 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday. Knecht, who was selected 17th overall by the Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft, scored 5 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in the game.

Why it matters

Knecht's performance is noteworthy as he continues to develop in the NBA after a standout college career at Tennessee, where he helped lead the Vols to a SEC regular-season championship and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

The details

In the loss, Knecht converted 2-of-6 field goal attempts and 1-of-2 three-point attempts. Rui Hachimura led the Lakers with 15 points, while Drew Timme added 11. LeBron James and Luka Doncic were inactive for Los Angeles.

  • The game took place on Tuesday, April 8, 2026 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.

The players

Dalton Knecht

A former player for the University of Tennessee Volunteers who was selected 17th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Rui Hachimura

A player for the Los Angeles Lakers who scored 15 points in the game against the Thunder.

Drew Timme

A player for the Los Angeles Lakers who scored 11 points in the game against the Thunder.

LeBron James

A player for the Los Angeles Lakers who was inactive for the game against the Thunder.

Luka Doncic

A player for the Los Angeles Lakers who was inactive for the game against the Thunder.

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What’s next

The Lakers will next play the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, April 10, 2026 at 10 p.m. EDT at Chase Center in San Francisco.

The takeaway

Knecht's performance in limited minutes demonstrates his potential as a young player in the NBA, and his continued development will be something to watch as the Lakers look to bounce back from this loss to the Thunder.