Kuzma rebounds from slow debut
Lonzo Ball wasn’t the only rookie who played better in his second game than his first.
After a blistering summer league and preseason campaign, Kyle Kuzma struggled in his first regular season NBA game. While Kuzma finished Thursday’s game against the Clippers with eight points on four-of-eight shooting, he was 1-of-5 through three quarters. Kuzma made all three of his fourth-quarter shots in garbage time.
On Friday against the Phoenix Suns, he made a bigger impact much earlier.
In the second quarter, Kuzma made four of five shots and through three he had 13. Kuzma finished with 15 points, two assists and three rebounds. Although he played only 18 minutes in the Lakers’ season opener Thursday, he played 28 minutes Friday.
“Little bit less jitters,” Kuzma said. “First game, opening game of my NBA career. I was able to settle down. Made some shots. Made the game simple, really focused on defense, and everything else opened up.”
Kuzma, who led the Lakers in scoring during the preseason, played the entire fourth quarter Friday in Phoenix, including the critical moments at the end of the game as the Lakers closed out the Suns.
Ball threw two of his nine assists to Kuzma, including his final one as the Lakers made their final push.
“Any time me and him are on the court, we have a little connection,” Kuzma said.
Ball said he never looks at statistics until after the game ends, so he had no idea he was as close as he was to a triple double.
His teammates didn’t either. Even as he left the locker room Friday night, Kuzma still hadn’t heard.
“What’d he fall short?” Kuzma asked.
Told just one assist, he replied: “He did it in summer league, why not the NBA?”
Randle limited again
Julius Randle came off the bench Friday, just like he did on Thursday.
Before the game, Lakers Coach Luke Walton said he thought Randle’s mood was good Friday and he expected Randle to have a good game that night.
While Randle played a little over 17 minutes Thursday night, he played even less on Friday.
Against the Suns, Randle played only 12 minutes. He scored
Brewer offers energy
Walton went with Corey Brewer in the starting lineup Friday after starting Luol Deng on Thursday.
“It felt like we needed some more natural energy in certain parts of the game that we struggled to find for some reason,” Walton said. “That shouldn’t ever be the case in a home opener but that goes to being a young guy not seeing the ball go through the net. We are going to change some things up ... and see if that helps.”
On Friday night he also offered a spark in the starting lineup. Brewer had the highest plus-minus rating of any Lakers player at 14. He finished with five points, two assists, two rebounds and three steals.
Update
After serving his two-game suspension for pleading guilty to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, Kentavious CaldwellPope will be in the Lakers lineup. It’ll be his debut with his new team. … Rookie guard Josh Hart might get more playing time after playing 2 minutes 20 seconds on Friday. That was Hart’s first regular season game after he missed the season opener due to Achilles bursitis.