Bronny James stats, highlights vs. Celtics: Lakers rookie held to two points in quiet Summer League performance

Kyle Irving

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Bronny James stats, highlights vs. Celtics: Lakers rookie held to two points in quiet Summer League performance image

Bronny James entered Monday night's Summer League contest against the Celtics looking to showcase some efficiency after shooting 3-of-14 against the Rockets on Friday, but his performance was not nearly that encouraging.

James was held scoreless until the final five minutes of the game, when he drilled a jumper to get on the scoreboard. The second-rounder finished with two points, three rebounds and one assist on 1-of-5 shooting over 25 minutes, struggling to make an offensive impact in an 88-74 Lakers loss.

James remains without a 3-pointer in the Summer League, as he shot 0-for-3 from beyond the arc in the defeat. He committed two turnovers and three fouls in the effort.

The Lakers are going to take their time with James, who is expected to spend much of his rookie season in the G League, but Monday was one more reminder that he still has a long way to go if he wants to develop into an NBA regular. The 19-year-old was outscored by seven of his eight teammates that saw the floor, and he's now averaging 4.3 points on 22.6 percent shooting through four Summer League games.

Los Angeles is expected to keep giving James consistent minutes to allow him to work through his struggles, and his next opportunity will come against the Hawks on Wednesday.

The Sporting News tracked live updates and highlights from Bronny James' second game of the Las Vegas Summer League. Check out the key moments you might have missed.

MORE: Doug Gottlieb has startling take on Bronny James

Lakers vs. Celtics final score

TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4Final
Celtics1931152388
Lakers1717152574

MORE: Best games to watch at NBA 2K25 Summer League in Las Vegas

Bronny James at Summer League: Stats, highlights from Lakers vs. Celtics

All times Eastern.

Final: Celtics 88, Lakers 74

12:25 a.m.: The Celtics finish off an 88-74 win over the Lakers, and James ends a quiet night with 2 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist over 25 minutes. He shot 1-of-5, including 0-for-3 from 3-point range.

12:20 a.m.: James steps out of bounds for his second turnover of the game.

12:17 a.m.: Drew Peterson has hit a couple of huge threes down the stretch to help keep the Lakers at bay. The Lakers trail 81-68 with under three minutes remaining.

12:15 p.m.: Bronny is on the board! It's not a three, but he sinks a jumper for his first points of the night. 

12:14 a.m.: James is back on the floor with a little under six minutes remaining, looking for his first points of the game,

12:11 a.m.: Colin Castleton is back in, but not James, who remains scoreless in 19 minutes.

12:09 a.m.: The Celtics have three starters in at this point, including a struggling Baylor Scheierman who's sitting on only three points tonight.

12:05 a.m.: James isn't on the floor early in the fourth quarter, with Dalton Knecht currently the only starter in for the Lakers. He's up to 18 points as Blake Hinson drills a three to trim Boston's lead to 13.

End of third quarter: Celtics 65, Lakers 49

11:59 p.m.: The Celtics have controlled the entire game, leading by 16 points going into the final quarter. Neemias Queta has been the best player on the floor with 15 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht is starting to heat up with 16 points and two 3-pointers. Bronny James has not scored heading into the fourth.

11:54 p.m.: Bronny James has checked out with just under three minutes remaining in the third quarter. He still has not scored but has three rebounds and one assist. He is shooting 0-for-4 from the field and 0-for-3 from 3 with one turnover in 19 minutes.

11:51 p.m.: Dalton Knecht buries a triple on an assist from Bronny James. Knecht has scored seven points in a row for the Lakers and has nine points in the third quarter alone. He's up to 16 points on the night as Los Angeles trails Boston 60-43 with 2:47 remaining in the frame.

11:45 p.m.: Not much scoring early into the second half. The Celtics lead the Lakers 52-36 four minutes into the third quarter. Bronny James collected another rebound but missed another 3-pointer.

Halftime: Celtics 50, Lakers 34

11:29 p.m.: Bronny James has not been able to find any sort of rhythm offensively. He has zero points on three shot attempts with two rebounds and one turnover in 12 first-half minutes. He has not recorded an assist, either.

11:24 p.m.: Bronny James missed two 3-point attempts — one of which was an airball from the corner. He is now 0-for-14 from 3-point range in Summer League between the California Classic and Las Vegas.

11:21 p.m.: Lakers wing Maxwell Lewis has kept them in the game in the second quarter. The 2023 second-round pick is up to 13 points with three 3-pointers. The Lakers trail the Celtics 40-34 with two minutes left in the half.

11:16 p.m.: Bronny James has checked back into the game midway through the second quarter.

11:13 p.m.: Finals MVP Jaylen Brown is in the building with his girlfriend Kysre Gondrezick and her former WNBA teammate, Chicago Sky star Angel Reese.

End of first quarter: Celtics 19, Lakers 17

11:05 p.m.: Lakers first-round pick Dalton Knecht is starting to get going. After knocking down a pair of free throws, he stepped into a deep 3-pointer with confidence to cut Boston's lead to two, 19-17, after one frame. Knecht's seven points lead Los Angeles, while Neemias Queta's seven points lead the Celtics.

11:00 p.m.: Bronny James' first stint is over and he didn't get many touches on the offensive end. He exits with zero points, assists, rebounds, steals or blocks with only one shot attempt in seven minutes. Celtics lead the Lakers 18-10 with two minutes remaining in the quarter.

10:49 p.m.: Bronny James hustled back on defense to break up a lob on a 4-on-1 fastbreak for the Celtics.

10:44 p.m.: Celtics rookie Baylor Scheierman is making things happen early on. He buried a 3-pointer then dished a beautiful lob to Neemias Queta for a dunk. Queta followed that by meeting Lakers center Colin Castleton at the rim for a massive block. Celtics lead 8-2 in the first two minutes.

10:43 p.m.: Bronny James stepped out of bounds after passing up his first 3-point attempt. The Lakers rookie with a tentative start as he navigates a shooting slump.

10:41 p.m.: Bronny James will start the game matched up with Celtics guard J.D. Davison. This will be a good challenge for James. Davison is a shifty playmaker who was All-G League Third Team last season.

Pregame

10:30 p.m.: Tip-off has been slightly delayed since the 76ers vs. Trail Blazers game before the Lakers vs. Celtics ran long at the Thomas & Mack Center. Both teams are starting to warm up now.

9:45 p.m.: The Lakers will start Trent Forrest, Bronny James, Dalton Knecht, Maxwell Lewis and Colin Castleton.

What channel is Lakers vs. Celtics on?

  • Date: Monday, July 15
  • TV channel: NBA TV
  • Live stream: Sling TV

James will play his second game at Las Vegas Summer League on Monday, July 15 against the Celtics. Fans can watch him live on NBA TV or stream the game on Sling TV.

Sling TV will carry all NBA Summer League contests — as well as a wide variety of other sports — at a starting price of just $15 during the first month with Sling Orange.

What time is Lakers vs. Celtics tonight?

  • Date: Monday, July 15
  • Time: 10:30 p.m. ET

The Lakers vs. Celtics game begins at 10:30 p.m. ET on Monday, July 15. The game will be played in Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Lakers NBA Summer League schedule

Here's the Lakers' NBA 2K25 Summer League schedule:

DateOpponentTime (ET)TV/Livestream
July 12Houston Rockets7:30 p.m.ESPN/Sling TV
July 15Boston Celtics10:30 p.m.NBA TV/Sling TV
July 17Atlanta Hawks9:30 p.m.ESPN/Sling TV
July 18Cleveland Cavaliers9 p.m.ESPN/Sling TV

Kyle Irving

Kyle Irving Photo

You read that wrong – not Kyrie Irving. From Boston, graduated from the University of New Hampshire. Sixth season as a content producer for NBA.com's Global editions. Covering the NBA Draft has become his annual "dream come true" moment on the job. Irving has a soft spot for pass-first point guards, with Rajon Rondo and Steve Nash being two of his favorite players of all time.