Los Angeles Lakers starting small forward Brandon Ingram turned heads during an impressive performance against the rival Golden State Warriors.
The Los Angeles Lakers second overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Brandon Ingram, showed the NBA what he was capable of against the defending champions. The former Blue Devil finished with a career-high 32 points.
With Kyle Kuzma out with back spasms, Ingram needed to step up. He shot at 57.1 percent of his field goals along with two three-pointers and six free throws included in his 32 points.
In 44 minutes, Brandon Ingram had multiple opportunities to keep the circulation of the ball game intact. After a Kevin Durant three-point shot to tie the game at 109 apiece, Ingram needed to respond.
However, he missed a game-winning shot at the buzzer, falling short. He swiped Kevin Durant’s pockets in the final seconds of overtime to bring it to within one via a Durant foul.
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The Lakers fell short in overtime by four points, consequently succumbing to an explosive offense at the hands of Warriors point guard Stephen Curry.
Many people, including myself, believed that Ingram’s close comparison was indeed Kevin Durant. Ingram composure is nearly the same as Durant’s. They both have the same body build and nearly the same offensive explosiveness. Draft Express’s scouting profile on Brandon Ingram is similar to KD’s.
Granted Kevin Durant had a great game, finishing off the Lakers in overtime with 29 points, seven rebounds, and 3-of-7 from deep. Still, the NBA took notice of the young man.
Trail Blazers shooting guard C.J. McCollum had this to say about Brandon Ingram:
Ingram gonna be a probleeem
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) November 30, 2017
Kevin Durant commented on Ingram’s efforts after the game:
"“As a player, playing against him I hate to see it, but if I was watching on TV, I’d be really excited for him.”"
Warriors color commentator Jim Barnett called out Ingram for his aggressiveness on driving towards the basket. Even if it was his former teammate Nick Young or 2017 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green, Ingram found ways to score against the Warriors.
It seems as if Ingram is now finding his groove in a Lakers offense that could be centered around him in the future. However, the Lakers have a brutal twelve-game stretch. Los Angeles faces off against the Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Minnesota Timberwolves in addition to a brutal east coast trip.
Next: Lakers vs Warriors Recap and Highlights
The team knows they must steal games to take a playoff spot. Ingram looks to build upon his performance against the Paul Millsap-less Denver Nuggets on Saturday.