Lakers lose to Celtics at Summer League

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Bronny James struggled from the field again Monday, finishing 1 for 5 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 88-74 loss to the Boston Celtics at NBA Summer League.

James played 25 minutes, finishing with two points, three rebounds and one assist. He was 0 for 3 from 3-point range and is now 0 for 15 from beyond the arc in four games this summer — two in Las Vegas and two at the California Classic in San Francisco.

The son of NBA all-time scoring leader LeBron James is shooting 7 for 31 (23 per cent) this summer and is averaging 4.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals.

Bronny James was the 55th overall pick in last month’s draft and the Lakers — who have said he will be a focus of their player development program — signed him to a four-year deal. If he and LeBron James play together in a game, they would be the first father-son combination to appear simultaneously in NBA history.

Bronny James played one year of college basketball at USC and averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game last season. He played in 25 games, missing the start of the season after needing a procedure last year to fix what was diagnosed as a congenital heart defect, which was found after he went into cardiac arrest during a summer workout.

Los Angeles Laker guard Bronny James Jr (9) drives the ball against the Houston Rockets during the first half of an NBA summer league basketball game Friday, July 12, 2024, in Las Vegas. PHOTO: AP