EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – The South Bay Lakers won their second game of the season, defeating Rip City Remix 122-110 on Friday night at the UCLA Health Training Center, thanks to Bronny James' impressive 31 points.
After the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena, they assigned Bronny James to the South Bay Lakers. He played just four minutes in the fourth quarter and missed his only shot attempt. However, this didn't stop him from having a standout performance on Friday, as he spectacularly dunked over Sterling Manley in the second half.
“It felt great, it’s a highlight reel,” James said on his monster dunk. “Not much you can say about that, it was just crazy.”
James was in the starting lineup in front of 623 fans. He scored his first points of the night with an alley-oop in the first quarter. Although it was a challenging first half for him, as he only managed to score six points, he exploded in the second half with 25 points.
Bronny James with the SLAM for his first bucket of the game 👀🔥@SportingTrib | #BronnyJames pic.twitter.com/0aYBtARPzo
— Fredo Cervantes (@FredoCervantes) January 25, 2025
Six players scored in double figures: Quincy Olivari led with 20 points, followed by Sir’Jabari Rice with 15 points, Christian Koloko with 16 points, and Jordan Goodwin with 14 points. Trey Jemison III, making his debut with the Lakers after signing a two-way contract, contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Rip City’s Alex Reese had 22 points in the first half while shooting a perfect 6 for 6 from beyond the arc. Remix made a total of 15 threes in the first half which allowed them to take a 67-58 lead into the half. Reese finished the game with 32 points and five rebounds on 12 of 17 from the field.
James Bouknight contributed 13 points, four rebounds, and three assists as he had it going for Remix in the first half. Bouknight was the 11th overall pick for the Charlotte Hornets in the 2021 NBA Draft.
The Lakers made 13 of 34 three-point attempts and held Remix to just 17 points in the third quarter. Issac Nogues did not score any points but recorded 11 assists in the loss.
South Bay Lakers head coach Zach Guthrie, made the necessary adjustments after his team fell behind by double digits in the first half. His passionate demeanor on the sidelines energized his players and instilled a sense of determination in them.
The team came together and effectively executed the revised game plan. Coach Guthrie motivated his players, and their effort resulted in a spectacular performance in the second half. This victory marked not only their second win of the season but also their first win at home.
The South Bay Lakers (2-7) will face the Texas Legends on Wednesday, January 27, at the UCLA Health Training Center.