SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors closed out the weekend portion of the California Classic summer league with a dominant 92-68 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday at Chase Center.
This marks the Warriors' second consecutive big win, following their 39-point victory over the Miami Heat on Saturday.
Three Warriors players scored in double figures, with Ethan Thompson adding 22 points, Daekwon Plowden 18 and Mantas Lubstavičius 12.
First-round draft pick Dalton Knecht led the team with 12 points for the Lakers, who were without Bronny James, who was announced as out before the game because of a swollen left knee.
Here are three observations from a game in which Golden State dominated every quarter.
Vereen performs well during summer league hiatus
Warriors summer league head coach Anthony Vereen, who serves as player development coach under Steve Kerr at Golden State, is putting together a solid mini-resume that points to something more.
He gets his players to put a lot of energy into their defense, something that wasn't always evident with the Warriors last season.
The Lakers were held to 25 percent shooting from the field, including 11.8 percent from 3-point range, one day after the Warriors held the Miami Heat to 28.9 percent shooting from the field, including 25.8 percent from 3-point range.
Yes, this is Summer League, where desperation breeds enthusiasm and every player is trying to make an impression, but aside from a few sloppy moments, Vereen's defensive plan was solid, especially for a team that had only practiced twice.
Thompson and Plauden call for two-way consideration
Point guard Reece Beekman signed a two-way contract a few days ago, and Pat Spencer was on a two-way contract last season and could sign again, leaving the Warriors with at least one more spot to fill.
Thompson and Plowden are both very active wingers who seemed to be chasing each other as a duo, and both showed not only their scoring prowess throughout the weekend, but also their defensive prowess with pride.
The 25-year-old Thompson was Golden State's leading scorer for the second straight game and also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. The 6-foot-5 Oregon State product scored 27 points off the bench Saturday and started Sunday.
The 25-year-old Plowden finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. He uses his athleticism and 6-foot-6, 215-pound frame to attack the rim, but he can also shoot from 3-point range.
Knox II continues to pursue his dreams
Selected ninth overall by the New York Knicks in the 2018 NBA Draft, just ahead of Mikal Bridges and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and 24 picks ahead of Jalen Brunson, Kevin Knox II is entering his seventh year hoping to shake off a feeling of incompetence in the NBA.
The 6-foot-7 wing was traded from New York to Detroit, who traded him to Portland, who waived him 19 days after signing. He returned to the Pistons, then was traded to the Jazz three months later, who waived him the next day.
Now it's Golden State's turn to give him a chance, and Knox had a decent debut, finishing with 7 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds on 3-of-10 shooting, including 1-of-5 from the 3-point line, in 19 minutes of play.
His most visible asset was his enthusiasm and drive to pass.
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