Tag: Talen Horton-Tucker

Lakers-Bulls recap: Anthony Davis dominates as L.A. goes 9-0 on the road

The Los Angeles Lakers are still perfect on the road this season following Saturday night’s win over the Chicago Bulls.

Even with no fans in the stands, Anthony Davis treated Saturday night’s homecoming with care and the Los Angeles Lakers came away yet another road win, 101-90, to move to an NBA-best 13-4 overall record, as well as a monstrous 9-0 start on the road. Davis finished with a season-high 37 points on the evening to help the Lakers to their ninth straight win while his co-star LeBron James finished with 17 points, a game-high 11 rebounds and six assists to help the Lakers get the win.

Without center Wendell Carter Jr. in the middle, the Bulls were forced to play smaller than normal and Davis took advantage. The Lakers did most of their work inside the 3-point line as they struggled mightily to hit from the outside, going just 4 of 19 from the 3-point line. The Lakers also took advantage of some tired legs for the Bulls as they came in after winning on Friday night in Charlotte.

 

Tyrese Haliburton: Talen Horton-Tucker’s play with Lakers is not a surprise

Tyrese Haliburton, one of the best rookies in his class, is not surprised by the ability Talen Horton-Tucker has shown this season.

While LeBron James and Anthony Davis have once again been the leaders of the show for the Los Angeles Lakers, their 11-4 start has been defined just as much by the emergence of other players around them who have made their jobs much easier on a nightly basis, especially on the offensive end. And one of those players emerging didn’t happen from a free agency signing but came from within: the emergence of second-year guard Talen Horton-Tucker as a frequent member of the Lakers rotation.

Horton-Tucker has appeared in 13 games this season, more than twice as many as he appeared in last season with the Lakers, and he has already scored 89 points this season after scoring a total of 34 as a rookie. Injuries and health and safety protocols have sprung him into a bigger role than usual. He has looked like he belongs most of the time, which didn’t surprise LeBron James but has surprised many. Another person who isn’t surprised is Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton, who played with Horton-Tucker at Iowa State.

Haliburton was recently on JJ Redick’s podcast Old Man and the Three, where he expressed his lack of surprise in Horton-Tucker’s play, as transcribed by Christian Rivas of SB Nation.

“It’s not surprising by any means, what he does on a nightly basis because that’s just literally who he’s been for as long as I’ve known him. So it’s like, what I see is not a surprise, but there are some people who are, like, going nuts about what he does and I see it and I’m just like ‘there’s even more that we have yet to see.’

“I think what people don’t realize is Talen is the same age as the rookies. Because we’re the class of 2018, but he’s a year younger, so really he should have been a freshman last year and this should have been his first year. People don’t understand how young he really is and what he really can bring to L.A. I think obviously they’re obviously a championship team, coming off of a ring so they have a lot of pieces, but Talen’s a guy that’s ready for his opportunity and what we see: trust me, there’s a lot more to it.”

With the Lakers going on a season-long seven-game road trip, there’s a good chance Horton-Tucker will again be called upon to step up for the Lakers. The good news for them is that they’ve never had to wait for him to be ready to contribute.

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Clippers vs. Lakers: Live stream, how to watch, TV channel, start time (Dec. 22)

The Los Angeles Lakers will open the season and receive their championship rings from the 2020 season on Tuesday night.

After the shortest offseason in NBA history, the Los Angeles Lakers are back on the court with an excellent opportunity to claim the lead for the most championships in NBA history. The Los Angeles Lakers begin their title defense on Tuesday night, 71 days after the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat to win the 2020 Championship down in the NBA bubble on the shores of Lake Buena Vista.

In addition to Tuesday night being the first Lakers game since October 11, it’s also the first regular season Laker game inside Staples Center since March 10.

After the Lakers won the championship, Vice President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka renovated the roster around their star talent and the younger players who showed they could contribute to a championship team. The additions of Dennis Schröder, Montrezl Harrell, Marc Gasol, and Wesley Matthews, as well as growth from younger players such as Talen Horton-Tucker and Kyle Kuzma, have this Lakers team in position to repeat so long as their two superstar talents stay healthy.

 

Talen Horton-Tucker and five other breakout stars of the NBA preseason

Even in a normal year, NBA preseason games can be misleading. But specific performances can show the progress of some developing players.

Even in a normal year, NBA preseason games can be misleading. But specific performances can show the progress of some developing players.

Small sample sizes can blur results and overreactions are not always wise, which is amplified even more by how strange this offseason has been. Similarly, anyone can get hot for one night, especially when playing in exhibition games. However, there are key moments that may be indicative of future successes.

Before the 2020-21 campaign tips off, we looked at some of the players around the league who seemed poised to have a potential breakout season based on what we saw during preseason action.

Talen Horton-Tucker is the Lakers’ newest gem, but will he actually play?

To THT, or not to THT. That is the question.

Luck just continues to shine down on the NBA’s reigning champions. Not only do the Lakers look incredible despite their short turnaround, but they’ve also found a legitimate gem this preseason.

Meet Talen Horton-Tucker — the Lakers 20-year-old prospect just oozing with potential.

During his rookie year last year, Horton-Tucker spent most of his time in the G League playing for the South Bay Lakers. He was impressive there, averaging 18.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. He also had some solid performances in the NBA’s bubble with the Lakers over the summer.

He’s continued to impress this preseason, averaging 23.3 points per game and 8.0 rebounds on 53% shooting from the field and 45.5% from 3-point range. He’s cooked the Clippers twice — including one 33-point outing. And, on Wednesday night, the Suns were his next victim. He impressed once again.

But, despite how good he’s been, questions about where he fit on the Lakers’ roster remain.

Kuz leads way for Lakers and THT flourishes again in preseason win

The Los Angeles Lakers moved to 3-0 so far in the preseason by beating the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.

The Los Angeles Lakers continue to look like they’ve never stopped being ready to defend their title as they won their third straight preseason game, this time with their two superstars, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis, in the lineup. The Lakers played some beautiful basketball mixing the newest Lakers against the Suns, but the young Lakers were the ones who stole the show for L.A.

Kyle Kuzma led the Lakers with 23 points as he got the start over Wesley Matthews, who had previously been in the starting lineup. Meanwhile, the play of second-year guard Talen Horton-Tucker continues to be a promising trend for L.A., as Horton-Tucker finished with 18 points on 7 of 11 shooting, five rebounds, and two assists. Then when the game was wrapping up, Jared Dudley hit a dagger that got LeBron James going up off the bench in jubilation to see his guy Dudz put the finishing touches on a win, even if it is in the preseason.

The Lakers have one more preseason game, Friday night again in Phoenix.

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LeBron James told Rich Paul to get Talen Horton-Tucker out of Simeon High School

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James told reporters that he has long been infatuated with the play of Talen Horton-Tucker.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has an uncommon passion for the game of basketball. Perhaps nothing illustrated that more than when a few summers ago, LeBron James spoke about how being involved with his children’s AAU games and summer tournaments helped bring the passion back. That’s the type of passion that brings one to watch high school basketball games and stumble upon a player they find a connection with. According to LeBron James himself during a recent press conference, a player that sparked that feeling within him over the years is the Laker’s preseason phenom, Talen Horton-Tucker.

James told reporters, according to SB Nation’s Christian Rivas, that he stumbled upon a Simeon High School game a few years ago, the storied Chicago school where Horton-Tucker played, as well as Derrick Rose, Jabari Parker, Nick Anderson, and late Simeon legend Benji Wilson, told Rich Paul that night to put him on the Klutch Sports radar.

“I saw him about three and half, four years ago,” James said of Horton-Tucker. “I was watching a high school basketball game and I happened to catch Simeon playing. And I told our agent at the time — it’s now Talen’s agent, Rich Paul — that he needs to take a look at this kid Talen Horton-Tucker that’s at Simeon. I think the kid is super talented. This was like four years ago.”

With his son Bronny being a high-level high school recruit, LeBron’s knowledge of the players coming up into the NBA will only grow, which will absolutely benefit both the Lakers and Klutch Sports.

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Horton-Tucker gets LeBron hyped with 31 in 3 quarters vs. Clippers

Talen Horton-Tucker looked good on Friday night but on Sunday night, he looked even better, living up to LeBron’s praises from the weekend.

The Los Angeles Lakers were back on the court on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Clippers in yet another exhibition game in the run-up to the December 22 matchup regular season against the same team. But in the second straight game, the talk of the night was Lakers second-year guard Talen Horton-Tucker. This time, it didn’t even take the full game for Horton-Tucker to make an impression and getting reactions from the Lakers stars, LeBron James, and fellow Chicago native Anthony Davis.

Horton-Tucker’s scoring binge included 31 points in three-quarters of action on Sunday against the Clippers. Because it’s the preseason, Clippers stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard each played just 18 minutes on Sunday while the Lakers rested James and Davis.

Horton-Tucker has been the talk of the preseason so far for the Lakers. He’s been a fan favorite for a while, but his play in the preseason is backing up the hype now. He had a few moments in last year’s postseason run to a championship, but he’s in a prime position to have a major role in the title defense.

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LeBron James hyped up Talen Horton-Tucker after his performance on Friday

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was impressed with the play of second-year guard Talen Horton-Tucker on Friday.

The Los Angeles Lakers took the floor at the Staples Center for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic suspended the NBA season and while the Lakers star players LeBron James and Anthony Davis didn’t play, as well as a host of other veterans, one young Laker was the talk of the game.

Talen Horton-Tucker, a 2019 second-round pick who spent most of his rookie season with the South Bay Lakers of the G League, was part of the starting lineup on Friday night and ended the game leading the Lakers in scoring with 19 points. He also had nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals in 37 minutes. After the game, LeBron James was singing his praises and talking about how “special” he believes Horton-Tucker is going to be.

The Lakers defeated the Clippers in last night’s exhibition game, 87-81. In addition to Horton-Tucker’s play, the Lakers got 18 points from Kyle Kuzma, as well as double-figure scoring outings from new arrivals Dennis Schröder and Montrezl Harrell.

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Lakers’ Talen Horton-Tucker made history by winning NBA championship

With Talen Horton-Tucker picking up his first ring, the rookie made a bit of history in the process.

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Led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers claimed their 17th championship on Sunday after defeating the Miami Heat 106-93 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

James became the first player in history to be named the NBA Finals MVP on three different teams. He captured his fourth career championship by recording 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in Game 6, his 28th career triple-double in the playoffs and 11th in the NBA Finals.

Several of James’ teammates became NBA champions for the first time, including Davis, Dwight Howard, Kyle Kuzma and Talen Horton-Tucker. In fact, with Horton-Tucker picking up his first ring, the rookie made a bit of history in the process.

Horton-Tucker, who will turn 20 on Nov. 20, became the second-youngest player in NBA history to win a title, and the youngest American player to do so, according to HoopsHype. The only player younger than Horton-Tucker to win was Darko Miličić, who won just before turning 19 years old.

Youngest players to win an NBA championship

  1. Darko Miličić, 18.9
  2. Talen Horton-Tucker, 19.8
  3. Magic Johnson, 20.7
  4. Tony Parker, 21.1
  5. Vern Mikkelsen, 21.5

Horton-Tucker, who was the 46th overall pick, played sparingly with the Lakers this season, averaging 5.7 points in six regular-season games. He made two appearances during the playoffs, both in the second round versus the Houston Rockets, and totaled 14 points in those games.

The opportunity for Horton-Tucker to experience a championship run in only his rookie season will certainly prove to be invaluable as he continues his development. Horton-Tucker has now seen firsthand what it takes to win and that will have a lasting impression on his career.

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