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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.
Talen Horton-Tucker getting buckets in Game 4 😳 pic.twitter.com/dXvbdPcbup
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 11, 2020
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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