Luke Kennard Shines as LeBron James Serenades Lakers

Luke Kennard, acquired from the Atlanta Hawks just under two months ago, has quickly won over his Lakers teammates. In Monday’s 120-101 win over the Wizards he came off the bench for 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting and 4-of-5 from three, and his postgame interview was charmingly interrupted by LeBron singing his "theme song." At 49-26 Los Angeles leads the Pacific and sits third in the West, and Kennard’s knockdown shooting gives the Lakers a needed scoring lift as they push toward the playoffs. Merlin sees a bench shooter becoming a meaningful cog. Kennard stretches defenses and creates easier looks for LeBron and Davis, and the locker room warmth matters when games get tight. Tuesday’s trip to Cleveland will show whether he’s a short burst of hot shooting or a dependable playoff weapon.