No. 4 seed Los Angeles defeated No. 5 seed Houston, 107-98, Saturday in Game 1 of the NBA playoffs first round at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
Former Tennessee basketball player Dalton Knecht did not play for the Lakers due to a coach's decision.
Luke Kennard, a trade deadline acquisition, scored 27 points for the Lakers. LeBron James recorded a double-double, totaling 19 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds. Deandre Ayton also scored 19 points for Los Angeles. Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic were inactive.
Knecht was selected in the first round of the 2024 NBA draft (No. 17) by the Lakers.
He transferred to Tennessee from Northern Colorado and played for the Vols during the 2023-24 season under head coach Rick Barnes.
During his one season at Tennessee, Knecht averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He led the Vols to a SEC regular-season championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight for a second time in school history.
Los Angeles will next play Tuesday in Game 2 of the best-of-seven series. Tipoff is slated for 10:30 p.m. EDT at Crypto.com Arena (NBC).
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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Former Vol does not play for Lakers in NBA playoffs first round Game 1