The youngest Laker went to the free-throw line to take a technical foul shot and when he made it, LeBron James, JaVale McGee and Tyson Chandler began jumping and hollering from the Lakers bench.
Nineteen-year-old Isaac Bonga scored his first point in the NBA on Saturday night and smiled bashfully at his teammates’ reaction. It happened a week after the Lakers’ veterans gave the same treatment to Moe Wagner, another rookie, as he scored his first points against the Phoenix Suns.
That game, like this one, afforded the Lakers an opportunity to use young players who otherwise don’t get much playing time.