In a lot of ways, a game like this from second-year guard Max Christie was the expectation, the response to the promise he showed as a rookie and this past summer as an exciting prospect for the Lakers ready to grab a rotation spot.
But those minutes weren’t really there, with the Lakers and coach Darvin Ham looking instead to Gabe Vincent and eventually Cam Reddish, before Christie got the nod.
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While he waited, though, Christie cemented his reputation as a true professional, the kind of compliment rarely paid to 20-year-olds in an occupation where patience doesn’t always pay.