The NBA regular season isn’t set to begin until Oct. 21, but the intensity is starting to heat up in the preseason. The Los Angeles Lakers are attempting to find chemistry on the court without LeBron James, who is expected to miss at least the next few weeks due to a sciatica injury.
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The Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors 126-116 on Sunday night. Second-year forward Dalton Knecht had a strong outing against the Warriors, going 4-of-9 shooting for 16 points. He added three rebounds and two assists in the win.
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Warriors forward Draymond Green and Knecht talked some trash while Lakers center Deandre Ayton shot a pair of free throws with 9:02 remaining in the third quarter.
“Don’t talk (****) to me,” Green said. “You got traded and got traded back.”
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Green was referencing the trade Los Angeles attempted to make last season with the Charlotte Hornets. The Lakers threw in Knecht as part of a package to land center Mark Williams in February. The trade failed to go through after Williams failed a physical.
Green is one of the toughest players in the NBA to talk trash to. The quick-witted athlete is known for speaking his mind on and off the court.
Green finished with two points, four assists, two steals and one rebound against the Lakers. Green, 35, is coming off a season where he averaged 9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game.
Green’s words will give Knecht and the Lakers motivation for their season-opening contest on Oct. 21. Los Angeles will host the Warriors for a tip-off at 10 p.m. EST on NBC/Peacock.
Per ESPN BET, Golden State is a 1.5-point favorite over the Lakers.
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