Congratulations! The Lakers missed 640,000 and the 21-year-old new star is so good: the Big Three were absent, and he shined with 25+6

Without James and Doncic, even Reeves was absent, and the Big Three of the Lakers did not play, but they defeated the Trail Blazers with a complete lineup 123-115 on the road. In this battle, 21-year-old backup guard Nick Smith became the hero of the victory. He played 27 minutes, made 10 of 15 shots, 5 of 6 three-pointers, and contributed 25 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists and 2 steals. The former No. 1 high school student in the United States has experienced twists and turns. He was waived by the Hornets this offseason, and the Lakers signed him to a two-way contract. Unexpectedly, he had his moment to shine in Los Angeles.

The Lakers' Big Three are absent and need someone to fill the offensive vacancy. In this game, Rui Hachimura scored 28 points, Ayton scored 29 points and 10 rebounds, and Nick Smith ushered in the scoring opportunity. However, he performed poorly in the first quarter. After coming on as a substitute, he only contributed 1 steal and did not score. He was replaced by Browne after playing for more than 4 minutes. The Lakers trailed the Trail Blazers 24-33 in the first quarter and they needed to tap into their scoring energy.

Nick Smith came back on the court in the middle of the second quarter. He assisted Rui Hachimura to score twice in a row, and then he finally had a scoring opportunity. He broke through and scored a layup, and then he scored two consecutive three-pointers to help the Lakers chase points. The Lakers trailed the Trail Blazers by 1 point 52 to 53 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Nick Smith came up and sent out two consecutive assists. Rui Hachimura and Smart scored successively, and the Lakers overtook the Trail Blazers. Nick Smith then released his hands and feet to attack, scoring on a pull-up mid-range shot, then scored a three-pointer, and then made another mid-range shot. Smith scored 7 points in this quarter.

In the final quarter of the game, Nick Smith continued his excellent touch. He scored on a pull-up mid-range shot and a breakthrough floater, helping the Lakers withstand the Blazers' counterattack. With more than 3 minutes left in the game, Nick Smith took over the game. He scored two three-pointers in a row to help the Lakers lead 117 to 105. The chance of winning became very large.

Nick Smith then successfully fed Ayton two consecutive times, one of which Ayton completed an alley-oop dunk. As a two-way contract player, Nick Smith successfully stole the show in this battle.

After the game, Nick Smith said in a TV interview that he actually played sick tonight: "But I will never miss this game because I finally have a chance to play." Lakers coach Redick was full of praise for Nick Smith: "He performed so well, really He is very courageous and mentally tough. He took over the game in the second half."

Nick Smith also created a miracle in this game. At 21 years and 200 days old, Smith was the youngest player in the history of the Lakers to score 25 points with zero free throws. The previous record was 22 years and 48 days old Van Exel.

Nick Smith rose to fame in high school and was a five-star top high school student. In his senior year of high school, ESPN ranked him No. 3 in the nation, Rivals ranked him No. 2 in the nation, and 247Sports ranked him No. 1. As a result, he earned the title of No. 1 high school student in the United States.

However, Nick Smith's performance in college was mediocre, averaging only 12.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. His height bubble was also punctured. His height was once rumored to be 1.96 meters, but in the end it was only 1.88 meters. In the 2023 draft, Nick Smith was selected by the Hornets with the 27th overall pick.

He played as a substitute for the Hornets for two seasons. Last season, he averaged 9.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, shooting 39.1% from the field, 34.0% from the three-point range, and 93.5% from the free throw line. The Hornets waived Nick Smith in the offseason, and the Lakers subsequently signed Nick Smith to a two-way contract with an annual salary of $640,000 this season. The 21-year-old seized the rare opportunity and fully demonstrated his ability. Previously, he played two regular season games for the Lakers and scored a total of 9 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

It must be said that the Lakers have a strong reserve of guard talent. Nick Smith has rectified his name and is expected to continue to be reused.

"Coach JJ (Redick) and the coaching staff trust me and this team. No matter what the lineup is, even if the main players are absent, we are going to go out and fight to win. I feel like we did it today and we must keep it up. My teammates have also been good at guiding me on the right track. You know, I am constantly learning, and I am very lucky to be here." Nick Smith said after the game.