Everyone knew Dalton Knecht would shoot in the Lakers win — everyone except the Jazz

LOS ANGELES — As soon as Dalton Knecht touched the ball on the wing, the Los Angeles Lakers crowd began to rise.

Knecht had just hit two straight 3-pointers from the same spot, and the fans were eager for more. The result was predictable: another Knecht splash.

It was part of a flurry of shots in which Knecht hit six 3-pointers in less than four minutes in the Lakers’ 124-118 win over the Jazz Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena.

“It seemed like everybody in the gym knew Dalton Knecht was going to make the next shot, except for a few people,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “The problem was that the few people were on our team.”

Knecht was already hot (he had just made two in a row and already had five total), and Lakers coach JJ Redick knows more than most that when a shooter has it going, keep feeding him.

Redick called up play after play for Knecht shots. However, the Jazz did not respond.

Soon enough, Knecht tied the rookie record for 3-pointers in a game with nine. The Storm turned an 11-point LA advantage into a 25-point lead. Knecht won the Lakers the game. The loss dropped Utah to 3-11 and 0-2 in NBA Cup play, all but eliminating them from reaching the knockout stages of the tournament.

“The awareness of what’s going on in the game, the ability to recognize and solve problems as a team is something we’re going to have to continue to work on,” Hardy said. “It’s going to be a big part of our growth.”

Hardy said that thinking as a group is an ability that all good teams have; it is the ability to solve problems together. So when a good shooter connects on a couple of shots, there should be a common understanding not to let him get a third – let alone a fourth … or fifth … or sixth.

“The guy makes his second, everybody kind of looks at each other, coach included, and it’s like, ‘He’s not getting the third.'” Hardy said.

That sometimes even means deviating from the game plan. Knecht torched Utah’s zone in the third quarter; but instead of adjusting to his hot hand, the Jazz overplayed drives, leading to open looks.

There was guilt to go around. Lauri Markkanen and Collin Sexton both left Knecht open in the first half; and Cody Williams struggled to stay connected with him in the third. So even when Jazz got a hand to his face…well, it was too late.

The Jazz forced him into two contested pull-ups to end the third quarter, but by then he was already in such a rhythm that it didn’t matter. He beat both.

“Systems, both offensively and defensively, usually have rules because it helps keep order on both sides of the ball,” Hardy said. “But there has to be license to play and recognize what’s going on around us. And in certain moments, say, ‘I don’t care about the rules, this guy’s made four in a row’.”

Williams admitted it was just what he should have done.

“It probably should have done more,” he said. “Especially you get to know your scout and staff and it’s just kind of reading the game and making adjustments.”

So consider Tuesday a very loud lesson for the rookie wing. The Jazz came into the game worrying about LeBron James (26 points and 12 assists) and Anthony Davis (26 points and 14 rebounds), both of whom had pretty causal double-doubles. They ended up on the wrong end of a rookie shooting explosion.

“Some of the best experiences are lived,” Hardy said. “You have to go through it somewhat and you hope, like, ‘OK, this next possession, we’re going to get this right.’ And then when it doesn’t, you feel – and you’re me – like an idiot because you’re like, ‘Oh my god, like it really happened again.’ And so if it’s anybody’s fault, it could be mine.”

It is also part of Hardy’s coaching philosophy. He doesn’t want to run a program where players are looking over their shoulder after a mistake. He wants them to work through things together…and overcome mistakes…and ultimately grow together.

So yes, he was hoping his team would recognize what everyone else had already figured out: The Lakers would get the ball to Knecht, and he would take a shot. It provided a harsh learning moment.

“When I watch our team play, there’s more good basketball being played than bad — the bad moments right now are just really loud,” Hardy said.