Los Angeles Lakers lose first game of Summer League to Los Angeles Clippers

The Los Angeles Lakers first game of the Las Vegas Summer League resulted in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t have a great opening game in the Las Vegas Summer League. They started off well, but struggled in the second half as the Los Angeles Clippers won in overtime, 96-93.

The much-anticipated debut of UCLA star point guard Lonzo Ball did not live up to the expectations. Ball struggled with his jump shot all evening, shooting an unsightly 2-of-15 from the field. 11 of those field goal attempts came from three-point land, as he shot 1-of-11 from distance and scored five points in the game.

Ball did do well in some other areas. He pulled down four rebounds and handed out a team-high five assists. Ball also had two steals and one block with three turnovers committed.

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Ball was not the only player who struggled for the Lakers from the field. As a team, Los Angeles shot 5-of-32 from beyond the three-point line. Travis Wear made 2-of-6, while Thomas Bryant made his only attempt from three-point range. Brandon Ingram made the other three-pointer for the Lakers on the night.

The Lakers had four players score in double-figures, which was nice to see. They shot only 31-of-80, 38.7 percent, for the game but everyone got involved. Bryant, Wear, Vander Blue, and Brandon Ingram all scored in double-figures for Los Angeles.

The Lakers did struggle to slow the Clippers down in the paint and when attacking the basket. The Clippers attempted 43 free throws in the game and shot 46 percent from the field. Summer League games are not always the prettiest games to watch, but the Lakers definitely need to show some improvement on the defensive end.

Three Stars

Clippers forward, Brice Johnson: Johnson absolutely dominated the Lakers. Johnson played all of nine minutes for the Clippers last season, so this is basically his rookie season. But, being in the NBA that one season definitely helped him improve his skills. Johnson poured in 23 points on 10-of-15 from the field to go with seven rebounds. He was unguardable in the post and had one highlight dunk with Lonzo Ball posting him up.

Lakers Center, Thomas Bryant: Bryant made a good first impression on the Lakers. Bryant provided a lot of energy off the bench and was an instant spark right when he checked in. He knocked down a three-pointer right off the bat and had a putback dunk as well. In his 17 minutes on the court Bryant scored 11 points with five rebounds and one block. It was about as good a game as Bryant could have hoped for.

Lakers forward, Brandon Ingram: Ingram is entering his second year in the NBA, so he is expected to excel in the summer league. Through one game, Ingram did just that. Ingram was the Lakers’ leading scorer as the Clippers didn’t have much of an answer for him. He showed off his mid-range game and attacked the basket en route to 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting. Ingram also provided three assists, one rebound, three steals and two blocks. The one negative was the five turnovers he committed.

Highlights

Next: 4 Lakers With Something To Prove In Summer League

Next Game:

The Lakers will play against the Boston Celtics Saturday, July 8th at 5:30 PM Pacific time. The Clippers won’t play again until July 9th when they face off with the Utah Jazz.