CLEVELAND, Ohio – With 6:46 to play in Wednesday’s game and the Lakers trying to catch their breath after back-to-back 3-pointers from Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton let his own 3-point attempt fly.

Already on a 10-0 run, a 3-pointer would’ve given the Cavs a 12-point lead, their largest of the game.

But Sexton’s shot rattled out.

LeBron James got the rebound and kickstarted a 15-3 run that allowed the Lakers to take control of Wednesday’s game. While James’ homecoming grabbed most of the attention – and Clarkson did his best to steal it late – Sexton’s game provided glimpses of what the rookie point guard can do, and what he still has to improve.

Sexton finished his first game against James and the Lakers with 12 points on 5-of-17 shooting, three rebounds and two assists in 36 minutes, but only two points came in the second half. Sexton scored eight points in the first quarter when he made 3-of-4 shots. He was 0-for-2 in the fourth quarter.

“It’s just a matter of him watching film and seeing how he can impact the game without scoring,” said coach Larry Drew. “Good point guards are able to do that. They can impact the game in other areas and he has the ability to do that. I really want him to understand, whether he’s having a good game of a bad game, that won’t be predicated on how many points he scores. But if he can do other things, you know, do some good things defensively, if he can make the right plays, get a few rebounds, come up with a few steals. Those are things that help a ballclub to win.”

One of Sexton’s best moments came on an assist in the fourth quarter after the Lakers cut the Cavs’ lead to 96-91. After a jump ball between Tristan Thompson and James fell to the floor, Sexton grabbed it and quickly lobbed a pass to Clarkson, who got a three-point play out of it.

The Cavs amazingly had no turnovers in the first half, and finished with just three. Sexton had his third turnover-less game of the season.

“I feel decision-making is improving,” he said. “Making the right pass and not try to thread the needle and make a turnover or something like that. And that’s what watching film does.”

Sexton led all scorers in the first quarter, helping the Cavs take a 28-24 lead. His best moment came after a Larry Nance Jr. steal and outlet. Sexton simply beat everybody down the court for a layup.

This rook has wheels! 💨💨



End of Q1 on ESPN:#BeTheFight 28#LakeShow 24



LeBron James: 6 PTS, 5 REB

Collin Sexton: 8 PTS pic.twitter.com/plKUvnVLUA — NBA (@NBA) November 22, 2018

Sexton was aware that his shot dried up in the second half, and, like Drew said, he needs to find other ways to help the team.

“I just want to go out and play the right way, make sure I get my teammates the ball and then also bring the energy on defense,” Sexton said. “That’s something that I know I can do each and every game, whether my shot’s falling or not. I can play defense.”

Said Drew: “He’s learning at a rapid rate and that’s such a good sign. A game like tonight I really thought he’d be really juiced up and throwing the ball all over the place and trying a lot of high-risk things but he played with a lot of composure. He made simple plays and made the right plays. I’ve said it before, he’s just going to get better and better.”