(Video) Kevin Durant shows ‘NO MERCY’ to Bronny James after attempting to swat rookie’s chance
Kevin Durant stuffs Bronny James in a brutal clash at the rim during the Los Angeles Lakers' preseason win over the Phoenix Suns.
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Kevin Durant blocks Bronny James' shot in their first matchup
Bronny James has been under scrutiny ever since he was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers this summer. With a disappointing start to the preseason, the rookie guard finally had a chance to prove his doubters wrong when the Lakers took on Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns.
However, Durant knew that he wasn’t ready to be on the receiving end of a Bronny James highlight. At the beginning of the 4th quarter, James Jr. drove toward the bucket for a big dunk over Durant. But Durant, who’s been involved in many duels with Lebron James, was not going to be put on a poster by the 20-year-old.
KD tried to block Bronny ?
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 18, 2024
Suns challenged the foul but were unsuccessful ? pic.twitter.com/9UlqVRbJVd
The two met at the basket, with Durant’s 7’5″ wingspan looming over the 6’2″ guard and blocking the shot attempt before a foul was called KD and the Suns decided to challenge the foul call but without success, putting Bronny at the free-throw line for two shots.
However, Bronny could not convert either, finishing the game with four points on 2-4 shooting from the field. However, it was the Lakers’ other rookie who stole the show during the matchup.
Dalton Knecht steals the show against Kevin Durant and the Suns
Most of the focus during the preseason has been on the Lakers’ ‘influencer’ rookie Bronny James. However, it was the Lakers first-round draft pick, Dalton Knecht, who put his talents on display at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.
With Kevin Durant and the Suns leading by eight points entering the 4th quarter, Knecht became an absolute flamethrower from behind the arc. The rookie out of Tennessee put up 20 points in the 4th quarter and overtime, including the game-tying 3-pointer with just seconds left in regulation.
The Lakers would eventually win the game 128-122 in overtime, overcoming Durant and Booker’s scoring outputs. The win was largely due to Knecht’s long-distance fireworks, which saw the rookie finish 8-13 from downtown for 35 points in the game.
The Lakers are set to play their final regular season game against the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center on Friday (October 18) before their season opener on Tuesday. New Lakers head coach JJ Reddick and his coaching staff will certainly hope to see Knecht continue to light up from three for a Lakers team in need of shooting.
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Anubhav Bajpeyee
(211 Articles Published)