The Los Angeles Lakers saw the revival of Talen Horton-Tucker in the win against the Sacramento Kings.
After a hot three-game streak to start his year where he averaged 23 points, Horton-Tucker cooled significantly and didn’t find that stride until Tuesday.
He scored 19 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including his first made triple in 17 attempts, to go with six assists, four rebounds and two steals.
Most of his output came in the first half, a time when LeBron James and company didn’t have many answers to Sacramento’s big lineup.
Though James and Malik Monk stepped up in the fourth quarter with big baskets, Horton-Tucker played a pivotal part in this win, as he also made timely baskets in the final period.
LeBron praised Horton-Tucker after the game and revealed the advice he gave to the 21-year-old combo guard during his cold stretch.
“It was phenomenal, it was so rewarding, it was amazing seeing Talo be himself, get back to himself once again,” James said. “His ability to score the ball, his ability to get in the lane and finish, his shotmaking ability, we’ve been missing that. I know he’s been missing that himself as well, but been telling him just to be himself. Continue to be yourself and tonight he was that. We needed everything he gave us tonight.”
Horton-Tucker raises this team’s ceiling if he can consistently play like this on both ends of the floor. How he comes out in the next couple of games will definitely be telling.
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