Los Angeles Lakers: Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram bounce back in win vs. Suns
By Tony Thai
After poor performances in the season opener, both Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram performed better in the Los Angeles Lakers win versus the Suns.
Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram bounced back and led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 132-130 win versus the Phoenix Suns.
Both performed better in this game after poor showings in the season opener loss versus the Los Angeles Clippers. In that game, Ball scored three points and grabbed nine rebounds. Ingram shot a measly 3-of-15 from the field and scored 12 points. After the game, many Lakers fans showed their disappointments and were quick to turn on the team after only one game.
Both of the players looked to hush the doubters that quickly turned on them after the loss versus the Clippers.
Versus the Suns, Ball scored a game-high of 29 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out nine assists, coming up short of a triple-double. For Ingram, he scored 25 points, made 9-of-14 shots and hit three shots from deep.
Ball told Lakers beat reporter Mike Trudell in a post-game interview on what the difference this game over the first game:
"“Just being more aggressive. The beauty about the NBA, there’s a quick turnaround. We weren’t proud of yesterday so we came out today with more fight,” Ball said to Trudell."
Ball looked more aggressive in this game, taking advantage of defenders going under screens and giving wide threes or driving and finishing at the rim. He shot 27 times this game, compared to the six shots he took in his debut.
Ingram had one of the better games in his career so far. His 25 points are a career high for the former second overall pick. Ingram stayed aggressive all game by consistently driving to the lane and finishing through contact, something his size and strength has limited him. While he has struggled shooting threes in the NBA, he made three threes against the Suns.
Next: 5 Takeaways from season opener
Both Ball and Ingram will look to continue having strong performances and showcase their talent as the NBA season rolls along, giving hope to the Lakers fans that have been waiting for this team to return to its former glory.