The Los Angeles Lakers got an impressive 113-100 win against the Detroit Pistons behind Kyle Kuzma's career-high 41 points. Aside from being the fifth player this season to score at least 40 points in three quarters, Kuz achieved another feat that no other player has done since the shot clock was introduced to the league.
Kyle Kuzma's 41 points are the most by a Laker in fewer than 30 minutes played in the shot clock era (since 1954-55).
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— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 10, 2019
The 23-year-old scored all of his points in 29 minutes. It is also worth noting that another Laker scored at least 40 points in only three quarters. Kobe Bryant did it in 2005 against the Dallas Mavericks when torched them for 62 points, but had to play almost 33 minutes.
Kyla Kuzma has become one of the league's more promising scorers, and at a very young age, he can still improve a lot, especially under the mentorship of superstar LeBron James.
Kuz has also been efficient all season, shooting 46.3 percent from the field. He shot 16-of-24 against the Pistons (66.7 percent) including 5-of-10 from deep (50 percent).
The Lakers have struggled over the last 10 games. Not only have they been missing the services of top scorer LeBron James and playmaker Rajon Rondo, but the team has also not gotten consistent contributions from forward Brandon Ingram and guard Lonzo Ball, two members of the Lakers' young core. This resulted in them losing four of their last six games.
Kyle Kuzma has been carrying much of the offensive load for the Lakers during this stretch, but he clearly needs help if the Lakers would like to remain in playoff contention. With no timetable for James' return, the Lakers will continue to rely on Kuzma as the primary option on offense.
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