Dalton Knecht went off for 35 points in the Los Angeles Lakers preseason game against the Phoenix Suns, and there was no one happier for him than his teammates. After the game, LeBron James posted Knecht on his Instagram story, showing his stat line, and wrote, “Cannon!!!!!!! That boy COLD!!!!”

Knecht finished the game shooting 8-of-13 from three, and at one point, Knecht scored 20 straight points for the Lakers in the fourth quarter and overtime. Knecht's teammates were excited for him during the game, including James and Anthony Davis.

After the game, Knecht shared what Davis and James said before his finish.

“Bron and AD said, ‘It's time,' so it was time to take over,” Knecht said.

Dalton Knecht gets hot in Lakers' preseason game

Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht (4) gestures to a teammate after scoring against the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter of their preseason game at T-Mobile Arena.
Candice Ward-Imagn Images
Related Los Angeles Lakers NewsArticle continues below
May 14, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) fouls out of the game in the second half during game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Jalen Brunson passes Kobe Bryant for playoff scoring
Los Angeles Dodgers minority owner and former Los Angeles Laker Magic Johnson arrives at Dodger Stadium for the team’s World Series Championship celebration.
Lakers’ Magic Johnson praises Kevin Durant, makes bold LA wish

Both the Lakers and Suns played their starters for most of the game, and then the reserves came in with about five minutes left. That's when Dalton Knecht turned up his game, knocking down several three-pointers to keep the Lakers in the game.

After the game, TNT reporter Jared Greenburg asked Knecht about his performance, and he only had four words.

“I was just hooping,” Knecht said.

Head coach JJ Redick has always had high praise for Knecht and even shared a story after the game about a conversation he and Reggie Miller had about him.

“Reggie [Miller] and I were talking before the game, and he was like, ‘It’s high praise to say he’s in the top 1% of shooters …’ Well, nah, he’s in the top 1%. … That was supernatural what he just did,” Redick said.

With Knecht's performance, there's a good chance that he could see rotational minutes throughout the season, especially if he can get hot like this during certain parts of the game. If anything, Knecht showed that he deserves to see the floor to some extent early in the season.