Talen Horton-Tucker dazzles, Lakers cruise past Clippers — again
Lakers #Lakers
LOS ANGELES — Talen Horton-Tucker continued to make ‘wow’ plays this preseason.
The second-year guard out of Iowa State led the Lakers for a second straight game, finishing with a game-high 33 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and four assists as the Los Angeles Lakers easily handled the the Los Angeles Clippers 131-106 on Sunday at the Staples Center in a nationally televised game on ESPN.
Center Marc Gasol also made his Lakers’ debut in the purple and gold, totaling six points, five assists and four rebounds in 22 minutes.
Marc Gasol/Courtesy of USA Today Network
The Lakers now travel to the desert to face the Phoenix Suns in the team’s third preseason game on Wednesday.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis did not play for a second straight game, but they were at the building. Kostas Antetokounmpo and Devontae Cacok had an excused absence and were not present on the bench.
Top player: Other than Horton-Tucker, Kyle Kuzma was solid, finishing with 25 points and six rebounds.
What I liked: The Lakers shot 18-of-25 (72 percent) from beyond the arc for the game. They also did a good job of sharing the basketball, finishing with 28 assists on 46 field goals.
What I didn’t like: Lakers shot just 21-of-31 (68 percent) from the free throw line.
Injuries: Guard Alex Caruso did not play due to a sore hip flexor. However, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel is hopeful Caruso can play on Wednesday on the road against the Phoenix Suns.
They said it: “He’s going to be a great player. He’s extremely young, but he has a certain amount of poise and maturity to his game. He’s just a sponge. He loves basketball and going to the gym.” – Kyle Kuzma on Talen Horton-Tucker.