Bronny James has solid game as Lakers get first Summer League win

Finally Bronny James made a three and finally he made a noticeable impact on the court — events that somehow felt both momentous and meaningless in the Lakers’ third game in the NBA Summer League.

On one hand, the 12 points — nine coming in the first half — were proof of skills the Lakers have been touting since using their second-round draft pick on James last month. On the other, if James’ early struggles in Vegas weren’t real reason to panic, a good half Wednesday wasn’t real reason to celebrate.

The team’s first win, 87-86 over the Atlanta Hawks, was reason enough for the Lakers to have a smile.

“It was really encouraging,” James said. “Reminds me to keep pushing, even though, you know, things may, may not be going my way at the time … just reminding our whole team to stay working and results will come.”

Development in the NBA is rarely linear, players learning and failing and succeeding in real time, just rarely with this level of interest.

The gym was less full Wednesday partly because of the natural fading vibes in Vegas during Summer League and partly because Atlanta’s top pick, No. 1 overall selection Zaccharie Risacher, and the Lakers’ top choice, Dalton Knecht, both sat out. But James’ every act — from being announced as a starter to his game-opening jumper to his first three of the summer — was met with outsized applause.

The crowd even reacted as he stood to go to the scorer’s table to reenter the game.

Read more: Reviewing the pluses and minuses for Bronny James so far

Against the Hawks, James played his best offensive basketball, attacking the rim early and hitting two of five three-point shots after entering the game 0 for 15.

“Really just trying to keep my confidence going out there and playing my game,” James said. “I feel like I know the right way to play. So if I go out there and play my game every game, results like that come.”

Knecht and James were expected to play Thursday against Cleveland.

The Lakers, hungry for their first win after losing all three games in the California Classic and their first two in Vegas, got off to a great start before Atlanta controlled the second half.

Center Colin Castleton, entering his second season on a two-way contract, had his best game of the summer for the Lakers, scoring 17 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out six assists. His play at the rim on both sides late helped the team break out of its winless summer and get their scrutinized second-round pick some positive momentum.

“It takes a little bit of time,” Castleton said of James. “You know, he’s under a lot of pressure, a lot of things on him. So he has a great mindset. He’s a great kid, a great teammate. And we love being around him. Everybody in the organization loves being around him.

“He took great shots tonight. It just got a good rhythm. So that was the biggest thing for him, getting a good rhythm.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.