Los Angeles Lakers swingman Kyle Kuzma sent out a reminiscent Instagram post on Tuesday morning, recalling the game in which he scored the most points on Christmas Day by a rookie in Lakers history:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6dXccoptOs/?igshid=1kgbg355ccu12
Though the Lakers were defeated by Karl Anthony-Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves, 121-104, Kuzma made his mark in the record books. Kuz dropped 31 points with six triples, giving him the most points by a rookie on Christmas since LeBron James' 34-point effort in 2003:
The Lakers are off to a great start to this season, as their 24-6 overall record can attest, though they are losers of three straight games. For this year's Christmas appearance, Los Angeles is scheduled to face Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers.
Whether or not Kuzma will have another breakout performance remains to be seen. With Anthony Davis joining the roster in the offseason, Kuzma's numbers on the offensive end of the floor are down a bit from season's past, with injuries also playing a key role in his struggles. The former 27th overall pick has made 21 appearances in this campaign, racking up averages of 11.3 points on 43.6 percent shooting from the field (35.5 percent from beyond the arc) and 3.4 rebounds in 23.0 minutes per game. For perspective, he finished the 2018-19 season with 18.7 points per game.
The Lakers and Clippers will square off for their Christmas Day matchup at 8:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, with ABC having live broadcast coverage.