The Los Angeles Lakers made some noise Saturday by defeating the Brooklyn Nets, with Talen Horton-Tucker playing a starring role with 14 points and 11 assists in his return from a one-game suspension. Horton-Tucker was one of three players who received a suspension for leaving the bench while Dennis Schroder and OG Anunoby got tangled up in Tuesday's Lakers game against the Toronto Raptors.
It seems as though the Lakers youngster took the suspension as a learning opportunity, per Lakers Nation's Ryan Ward. At 20 years old, Horton-Tucker has plenty to learn in the NBA, and this suspension could help him become a more disciplined player down the road.
It's refreshing to see someone so young take the high road in an unfortunate situation. Luckily, he didn't get too involved in the altercation on Tuesday, otherwise, the suspension would have been longer. After missing the next game against the Miami Heat, Horton-Tucker put forth the strong effort against Brooklyn.
Coming off the bench for most of this season, Horton-Tucker has earned himself some valuable playing time for the Lakers. He's currently averaging 8.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He's coming off the bench and playing about 19 minutes per game, making him one of the key components to the Lakers' rotation.
It's safe to say Talen Horton-Tucker likely learned his lesson. The next time his teammates get tangled up while he's on the bench, he should be able to hold himself back. For the Lakers, they're happy to have him back in the lineup, especially after his performance against the Nets.
We'll see if Horton-Tucker can improve even more against the New York Knicks on Monday night.