Jazz coach Will Hardy takes hilarious dig at his own players after Dalton Knecht’s blistering performance

Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy took a hilarious dig at his players after Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht delivered a spectacular performance. The Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Utah Jazz Tuesday night for an Emirates NBA Cup game. The Lakers walked away with a victory at home (124-118).

During the postgame conference, Hardy roasted his team’s players.

“It seemed like everybody in the gym knew that Dalton Knecht was gonna shoot the next shot with the exception of a few people. The problem was that those few people were on our team,” Hardy said.

The Lakers rookie led the scoring chart with 37 points. He also collected five rebounds and made one steal. Knecht went 12 of 16 from the field and 9 of 12 from downtown. The Lakers rookie tied the NBA’s single-game rookie record on Tuesday night with nine 3-pointers.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis also delivered. James scored a double-double, 26 points and 12 assists. Davis also scored a double-double with 26 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.

Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 25 points, eight rebounds and one assist in the disappointing loss.

JJ Redick reacts to Dalton Knecht’s incredible performance against the Jazz

The Lakers bench, including the coach, were excited to see their rookie Dalton Knecht have a breakthrough performance against the Jazz. After the game, the JJ Redick expressed their thoughts on the rookie’s performance.

“His shot-making gets us going,” Redick said. “It’s a real weapon for our group. Beyond just the score, it’s a weapon that energizes us.”

Redick then broke down Knecht’s performance and attributed it to the “flow” state.

“It’s the flow state,” Redick said. “You’re not thinking. You’re just perfectly in balance with the curvature of the earth, and the earth spinning on its axis a thousand miles an hour. You’ve let go, and the ball just feels weightless. It feels like everything is going to go in.”

Lakers’ big man Anthony Davis also shared his views on the rookie’s performance.

“He was phenomenal tonight. When you’re hot like that, he’s special to watch. Anytime he’s shooting the ball like that, it definitely gives us energy,” Davis said.

Lastly, LeBron James was also amused after witnessing Dalton Knecht’s performance. The four-time NBA champion shared his thoughts on Knecht’s acquisition as the 17th pick in the draft and remarked that the other 16 teams messed up.

Edited by Krutik Jain