With Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Gabe Vincent sidelined, the Los Angeles Lakers desperately needed a shot in the arm against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night. That’s exactly what unheralded guard Nick Smith Jr. provided, as he dropped 25 points in his team’s 123-115 victory.
Smith shot an impressive 10-of-15 from the field and 5-of-6 from three, including 10 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Lakers escape Portland with a win. According to the Real Sports App, the 21-year-old Nick Smith Jr. is the youngest Laker in franchise history to score 25 or more points with zero free-throw attempts.
His fifth three all but sealed the Lakers’ victory, as it gave the team a 117-105 cushion with less than 2:30 left in the ball game.
Lakers Praise Nick Smith Jr.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick lavished praise on the guard for coming up big.
“Nick Smith in the second half, he just took the game over,” Redick said. “We needed his handle and we needed his wiggle tonight. Truthfully, it was a perfect game for him.”
However, Redick was not surprised by Smith, Rui Hachimura (28 points), Jake LaRavia (11 points) and Deandre Ayton (29 points, 10 rebounds) coming to the rescue when up to four key players were sidelined.
“I told the guys before the game, ‘We have enough in this locker room to win this game,’” Redick said, via ESPN’s Kevin Pelton. “My belief level in this group that’s here in Portland right now and in uniform right now is as high as it’s been.”
“You can’t win in the NBA without stepping on the floor and expecting to win,” Redick added. “I thought our guys had that from the start. Then that confidence, belief and truly connectivity in that second half was just awesome to watch. It was just awesome.”
Nick Smith Jr. on Two-Way Contract
Smith Jr. said he wanted to seize his opportunity by providing his team a boost.
“I just wanted to come out with energy. Coach JJ and the staff believe in me,” he told Spectrum SportsNet after his heroic performance.
“Just coming together as a group, getting a big win, especially with our best players out,” he added, via ESPN. “Bron, Luka, AR, those guys do a lot for us. Just to have a win like this for the young guys and the other players to step up like this is big for us.”
So, who exactly is Nick Smith Jr.? The 21-year-old Arkansas alum was drafted No. 27 overall by the Charlotte Hornets in 2023. In his two seasons in Charlotte, he showed flashes of a sharpshooter, as he made 1.5 threes at a clip of 39%. However, he was waived by the Hornets over the summer, which allowed him to sign a two-way contract with the Lakers just before training camp.
Smith Jr. made his Lakers debut against the Trail Blazers on Oct. 27, producing two points and three assists in 20:04 of action. He got another look against the Minnesota Timberwolves last week, finishing with 7 points and an assist from 10:08 minutes of action. With most of the Lakers’ starters sidelined on Monday, he finally got the opportunity to play a prominent role, and he seized his moment — truly.
The young sharpshooter helped the Lakers (6-2) extend their winning streak to four games. The team will try to keep the streak alive against the Spurs on Wednesday.
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