The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons 113-100 behind Kyle Kuzma's career-high 41 points. What's more impressive is that Kuzma did it during the first three quarters of the game.
With the recent accomplishment of the sophomore guard, he joins teammate LeBron James, Golden State Warriors' tandem of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, and league MVP James Harden of the Houston Rockets on an elite list.
Players with 40+ points in 3 quarters this season:
Klay Thompson
Steph Curry
James Harden
LeBron James
Kyle Kuzma pic.twitter.com/1gSbP5mUYE— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 10, 2019
Kuzma is the only non All-Star to do it this season.
The 23-year-old also notched his career-best while scoring the ball efficiently. He shot 16-24 from the field and 5-10 from beyond the arc. With the Lakers already up big, Kuz sat almost the entire fourth quarter.
His previous career in points was 38, in a December 2017 game against the Houston Rockets.
The Lakers now improve to 23-19 and remain in the top eight of the Western Conference standings.
While all eyes seem to be focused on the progress and/or future of former second overall picks Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball, Kuzma is starting to make his presence felt around the league. He's arguably the team's second best player this season behind LeBron James.
The Lakers, who are rumored to be looking for another star to pair with LeBron, might not need to look that far and that long. Kuzma is putting up decent numbers this season, averaging 18.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on 46.3% shooting from the field.
And with James out with a groin injury, Kuzma continues to thrive because of the increased role in the Lakers' offense.
He showed what he's capable of in their win today.
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