Tag: Talen Horton-Tucker

Talen Horton-Tucker drinks orange juice while Lakers vets enjoy wine

The youngest member of the Los Angeles Lakers is still not of drinking age, so he’s found other ways to hang out with the Lakers.

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The Los Angeles Lakers are the oldest team remaining in the NBA bubble, according to average age estimates, that have the Lakers median age at 28.3 years old. 19-year old rookie Talen Horton-Tucker is an extreme outlier in comparison to the rest of the team. Still, he’s clearly a part of what the Lakers are building and he also had a major role in the celebration of Anthony Davis’ game-winner, with him getting run over by a jubilant Davis in the immediate aftermath of the shot.

But Horton-Tucker getting run over by Davis may not be the funniest thing involving him inside the bubble, hanging out with his much older teammates. Horton-Tucker also makes time to hang out with the Lakers veterans, but since he’s not of drinking age, he’s unable to take advantage of the elite wine they have at their disposal, instead he’s settling for orange juice, according to a new piece on Horton-Tucker from Marc Spears of ESPN’s The Undefeated.

“They drink a lot of wine. I don’t drink that. But I can still be around,” Horton-Tucker said. “They can drink their wine and give me an orange juice. I just like sitting around, listening and taking anything in. It can be from basketball to video games. I’m a sponge with everybody.”

Horton-Tucker had some minutes in the Houston series, but it doesn’t look like he will have much of a role in the Lakers’ current series against Denver. But if the Lakers make the Finals, there’s a chance he might get a chance against two teams loaded on the perimeter, in Miami or Boston.

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Lakers chemistry shines during celebration of Anthony Davis game-winner

From Talen Horton-Tucker to Rajon Rondo, the Los Angeles Lakers were basking in the glow of Anthony Davis’ epic 3-pointer in Game 2.

Team chemistry, aside from having the tandem of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, has been one of the hallmarks of the Los Angeles Lakers for the entire season. Last night’s celebration of Anthony Davis’ game-winner over the Denver Nuggets highlighted the chemistry once more.

Since LeBron James spearheaded a team trip to Las Vegas before the season nearly a year ago, the Lakers bond has only grown stronger. Danny Green talked about it as the best chemistry he’s ever had after the Lakers got off to a 17-3 start.

“I’ve been on some pretty special teams, but more so than anything, which is more important than record, it’s the bonding, the chemistry,” Green told LeBron Wire in November. “I’ve been a part of some really good teams where the chemistry on the court was unbelievable but I’ve never been a part of a team where the chemistry has been … I think the China trip really helped us. It’s been unbelievable off the court.”

There may have been no moment more indicative of the chemistry than the on-court celebration and the ensuing Posts of Triumph on Instagram. Talen Horton-Tucker, who was inactive got knocked over by Davis, but had a hilarious laugh about it after the game. Davis told Horton-Tucker in the comments it was “his bad.”

J.R. Smith also had something extra in the celebration.

LeBron James, who probably had the best view of the Davis shot, was also celebrating his teammate’s epic moment online.

The Lakers have been arguably the most vocal team in the bubble during games. Their bench will often heckle free-throw shooters and celebrate misses, so it shouldn’t be a surprise they reacted this way to their most important moment so far of these playoffs. But it sure was a delight to see, unless you’re a Nuggets fan.

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Talen Horton-Tucker is ‘cool’ after falling during Lakers’ celebration

Horton-Tucker fell down onto the court as the Lakers mobbed Anthony Davis after his game-winning shot in Game 2 on Sunday.

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Talen Horton-Tucker wants fans to know that he is doing just fine.

Horton-Tucker was part of the group of players from the bench that rushed onto the court after Anthony Davis drilled the game-winning shot on Sunday as time expired to send the Los Angeles Lakers to a 105-103 victory and a 2-0 series lead over the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.

With just 2.1 seconds remaining, the Lakers inbounded the ball to Davis. He caught it and raised up near the wing to nail his first career playoff buzzer-beating game-winner. Davis was instantly mobbed by the entire Lakers roster to celebrate the shot as Horton-Tucker fell down in the chaos.

Horton-Tucker did not play in Game 2 and was on the inactive list after logging two appearances in the second round versus the Houston Rockets. Despite not playing, he made sure to let Lakers fans know he is doing good after he appeared to take a knee from Davis in the celebration.

Game 3 is set to tip-off Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on TNT.

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LeBron James said Talen Horton-Tucker was ‘huge’ in Game 4 victory

Horton-Tucker made his playoff debut on Thursday as the rookie played a key role with the Lakers in the second quarter.

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Seldom used rookie Talen Horton-Tucker made his first career playoff appearance on Thursday night in Game 4 as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets to take a 3-1 series lead. Horton-Tucker logged only seven minutes but impressed LeBron James in the process.

With Markieff Morris battling some foul trouble, Horton-Tucker checked into the game in the second quarter. He helped the Lakers build a 16-point lead heading into halftime after scoring five points, two rebounds and two steals while finishing a plus-nine on the court.

Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said the performance gave the team a big lift in the first half while James backed up that statement and credited Horton-Tucker for his play.

We got rook in the game today and he was huge in his first stint in the postseason. … I thought rook was really good tonight coming out and giving us some huge minutes when ‘Kieff got into a little foul trouble. He came in and gave us great minutes.

Horton-Tucker only made two appearances with the Lakers prior to the season suspension but played in four seeding games at the Walt Disney World Resort. He scored in double figures in three of those outings and even, at one point, made a case to be included in the rotation.

His teammates and coaches trusted him to play meaningful minutes on Thursday and that is a direct result of the hard work he has put in. Anthony Davis said after the game that Horton-Tucker is constantly asking questions trying to get better and that showed in Game 4.

Game 5 is scheduled to tip-off Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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Talen Horton-Tucker brought energy and effort in Lakers playoff debut

Lakers rookie Talen Horton-Tucker made a surprise appearance in Game 4 as L.A. took the win and a 3-1 series lead over the Rockets.

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Los Angeles Lakers rookie Talen Horton-Tucker made a surprise appearance in Game 4 versus the Houston Rockets on Thursday and, based on his performance, it may not be his last time on the court in the playoffs.

Horton-Tucker checked into the game in the second quarter to make his playoff debut and proceeded to help the Lakers build the lead up to 16 points at halftime. He logged seven minutes, recording five points, two rebounds and two steals while he was a plus-nine on the court as the Lakers took the 110-100 victory and a 3-1 series lead over the Rockets.

Perhaps even more impressive, Horton-Tucker made a number of plays that didn’t show up on the box score. He gave the Lakers a boost of energy off of the bench and provided a strong defensive presence during his time on the court.

Prior to the start of the game, the Lakers opted to change the starting lineup to go smaller with Markieff Morris taking the place of JaVale McGee. The move stemmed from trying to match the small-ball style of the Rockets and likely played a role in Horton-Tucker playing.

Horton-Tucker only made two appearances with the Lakers prior to the season suspension but played in four games at the Walt Disney World Resort during the seeding games. He scored in double figures in three of those outings and even, at one point, made a case to be included in the rotation.

Given the makeup of the Lakers’ roster, playing time just hasn’t been there this season for Horton-Tucker but he has shown that he can contribute when his number is called upon. He is a nice change-of-pace player off the bench and could see more playing time as a result.

Game 5 is scheduled to tip-off Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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Talen Horton-Tucker ‘making a case’ to be in Lakers’ rotation

Horton-Tucker scored a career-high 10 points on Thursday and, perhaps most importantly, earned high praise from head coach Frank Vogel.

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Los Angeles Lakers rookie Talen Horton-Tucker only logged two appearances this season prior to the season shut down but certainly made the most of his third opportunity on Thursday night.

Horton-Tucker scored a career-high 10 points, four steals, two rebounds and one assist during the 113-97 loss to the Houston Rockets. He shot 4-of-6 from the field in 19 minutes off of the bench and, perhaps most importantly, earned high praise afterward from head coach Frank Vogel.

He continues to surprise and impress me and he’s making a case for being in the rotation with just the way he’s performed this whole restart. Obviously, he had great growth in our G League program this year and has really come along. He played really strong, looked really comfortable against a very good team tonight, and continues to make a case.

Horton-Tucker spent much of the season with the South Bay Lakers in the G League, averaging 18.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and four assists in 38 games played. As Vogel eluded to, he has shown immense improvement throughout the year and that was on display in the loss.

The Lakers have battled through several injuries in the restart and are also toying around with different lineups, which created the opportunity for Horton-Tucker on Thursday. He has emerged as a versatile player and could play a role off of the bench in the postseason.

(h/t LeBron Wire)

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Talen Horton-Tucker making a case for the rotation, according to Frank Vogel

The Los Angeles Lakers second-round pick from the 2019 draft is making a case for minutes, according to Frank Vogel.

The Los Angeles Lakers are looking for something and they are turning over every stone to try and find it. The Lakers have struggled greatly offensively, especially when LeBron James sits, and the Lakers appear to be missing the experienced guard play of Rajon Rondo, as well as Avery Bradley. Perhaps because of this, head coach Frank Vogel gave his smaller players an extended look in last night’s loss to the Houston Rockets, namely rookie guard Talen Horton-Tucker.

Horton-Tucker played 19 minutes and scored 10 points in yesterday’s loss against the Rockets and when pressed about his play, Vogel told reporters that the rookie guard is earning an opportunity, as transcribed by SB Nation’s Christian Rivas.

He continues to surprise and impress me, and he’s making a case for being in the rotation, with just the way he’s performed this whole restart,” Vogel said. “[He] has really come along. He played really strong, looked really comfortable against a very good team tonight, and continues to make a case.”

The Lakers also played last night without Alex Caruso, giving Horton-Tucker even more of an opportunity. But if Dion Waiters continues to struggle with his shot, Horton-Tucker might become an even more intriguing option for Vogel to try.

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Lakers’ Horton-Tucker treated himself to Del Frisco’s in the bubble

Lakers rookie Talen Horton-Tucker appeared to be happy with his food selection on Sunday night at the Walt Disney World Resort.

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While much has been made about the food inside of the bubble at the Walt Disney World Resort, Los Angeles Lakers rookie Talen Horton-Tucker appeared to be happy with his selection on Sunday night.

Horton-Tucker posted a photo of his order from Del Frisco’s on Instagram, courtesy of @NBABubbleLife, and said it wasn’t “too bad” in his caption. He didn’t specify what he ordered but given the prime eating options Del Frisco’s has to offer, it is safe to say he enjoyed his meal.

Some players have depicted the food options inside of the bubble as being less than ideal. However, Memphis Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant called out those players, stating that he wasn’t a “silver spoon guy” and that the options have been fine.

As players began to exit quarantine and were free to move around the bubble, the league has started to provide catered meals from different restaurants, including Del Frisco’s, The Oceanaire and Joe’s Crab Shack among others.

The Lakers begin the season restart on July 30 vs. the Clippers.

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Lakers Restart Refresh: Talen Horton-Tucker, from G League to big time

In the lead up to the NBA Restart, LeBron Wire will be giving everyone a refresh on who is on the Lakers and where they were before.

With the NBA Restart on the horizon, we are going to take stock of who is on the Los Angeles Lakers, what they did, or didn’t do this season, and what to look for as the Lakers look to march towards their 17th championship banner in the most unprecedented circumstances in NBA history. 

Talen Horton-Tucker

Conventional wisdom and NBA history are against Horton-Tucker being any type of an impact player for the Lakers in the playoffs, but these are unprecedented circumstances. And Horton-Tucker may find himself in the big time, whether due to injury or illness. Luckily the Lakers have spent time developing him in the G League.

While I can’t admit to watching G League games in realtime, I watched some of Horton-Tucker’s film in the G and found a couple of encouraging things if the Lakers need to rely on him unexpectedly.

While the South Bay Lakers have allowed Horton-Tucker to work on his off-the-dribble game. He wasn’t that great at it, truth be told and the South Bay Lakers usually had other point guards run the show. However, what Horton-Tucker did excel at in the G was making shots on the catch-and-shoot.

According to Synergy Sports, Horton-Tucker was in the 68th percentile in the G League in catch-and-shoot situations. Defense in the G League certainly isn’t NBA caliber, but this mark and consistency is a good sign for the type of things he would be asked to do on the Lakers, fitting in around other guards who will have the ball in their hands.

Horton-Tucker is also big for his size, with a long wingspan and a big chest to body bigger players, but he didn’t show that to be very useful in the G League. Synergy rated him out as a “poor” defender in the G League and his film shows that he struggles with the finer points of team defense, closing out to shooters and general help. In isolation situation, he will probably be okay, but this type of struggle in team defense isn’t going to be acceptable on a LeBron team, unless it’s an absolute emergency.

Horton-Tucker shouldn’t be expected to play, but if he does, his consistent 3-point shooting in the G League and his size could help him survive. We also have to realize that Horton-Tucker will have had nearly an entire offseason’s worth of time to work on his game, which could work in favor of his development and to the benefit of the Lakers. However, the Lakers are likely hoping they won’t have to find out if he can survive in a high-pressure situation, at least not this season.

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Talen Horton-Tucker returned to the gym with LeBron James, Lakers

LeBron James, Anthony Davis and rookie Talen Horton-Tucker were among the Lakers players to return to the gym on Wednesday.

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On Wednesday, mandatory individual workouts started for players on the 22 teams set to restart the season this month at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida.

Teams began sharing videos of players reporting for workouts as No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson was among those on the New Orleans Pelicans that returned to the gym Wednesday. Players have previously been at practice facilities voluntarily but it is now a requirement.

On the other side of the country, the Los Angeles Lakers began preparations for the upcoming season restart. Among those players that were pictured practicing were LeBron James, Anthony Davis and rookie Talen Horton-Tucker.

The mandatory workouts gave fans the first glimpse of players back in the gym since the season shut down on March 11 due to the coronavirus pandemic. With the season set to restart on July 30, the anticipation will certainly begin to build as that date nears and basketball returns front and center.

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