Nick Smith Jr. enjoyed a big break and came out huge to help the Lakers' massive victory against the Kings.
In a promising display, Nick Smith Jr. came out ready to play for the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
Right before their matchup against the Sacramento Kings, JJ Redick suggested a significant lineup change in which he hinted that Smith Jr. could be up for a big break.
In the end, the 21-year-old answered the call, delivering a huge performance that helped the Lakers' 125-101 win to snap their three-game losing skid.
Smith Jr. erupted off the bench, scoring 21 points and burying five triples across 24 minutes. He made his first seven shots from the game as he finished as the Lakers' third main scorer behind Luka Doncic (34) and LeBron James (24).
"I said before the game that he helped us win two games prior to tonight, and he helped us win tonight as well," Redick said about Smith Jr. "For someone his age, he’s been in a lot of NBA games, so this isn’t new. That’s why we wanted him on the Lakers and part of our program—we knew he could score.
"I like when he’s aggressive, and for the most part, we did well tonight."
Right after the match, Smith Jr. obtained the game ball for his memorable display and reaching the 1,000 scoring mark in his young career.
Smith Jr. joined the Lakers this past offseason via a two-way deal. He spent his first two seasons with the Charlotte Hornets after being drafted No. 27 in the 2023 Draft.
"Obviously, the scoring is going to help us a lot in bringing the ball up," Doncic said about Smith Jr. "As you saw today, he had an amazing game. Without him, it would have been a much closer game, so he helped us a lot today."
And with Austin Reaves being out for a significant time due to a calf injury, LeBron James is pleased to see how Smith Jr. stepped up to the occasion.
"Nobody’s surprised by his ability to score—he’s been doing that his whole life," James said. "With AR out, we need another ball handler to run some sets, and the most important thing is he was super efficient tonight, getting us into our offense even under pressure."
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