The Los Angeles Lakers were recently able to get a big win on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers. Rookie Lonzo Ball certainly enjoyed the hostile atmosphere in Philadelphia.
On Thursday night, the Los Angeles Lakers were able to get some revenge against the Philadelphia 76ers with a 107-104 win on the road. Earlier in the season, the 76ers defeated the Lakers in the Staples Center, as both Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid had great games.
While both played well for the 76ers on Thursday, the Lakers were able to get the win still. This was a much-needed win for the Lakers, as it snaps their five-game losing streak, and sets the tone for their road trip.
Right from the start, the crowd in Philadelphia was amped for this Nationally televised game. Lonzo Ball is no stranger from big games at UCLA last season, as he faced some hostile crowds when playing in tough venues like at Arizona. On Thursday, Ball enjoyed playing in the hostile atmosphere. Here’s what Ball said on Spectrum Sports with text via Trevor Lane of LakersNation.com.
"“I knew it was going to be like that. Right when they called my name, they were ready to go. It’s always fun to play like that, though. It was crazy. Like I said, when they called our names, they were going after us.”"
In Philadelphia, Ball was able to play a really solid all-around game, as he totaled 10 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, four blocks, and three steals. What might have been most important was that Ball also didn’t turn the ball over once. Considering how much he has the basketball in his hands and some of the long outlet passes that he makes, this was very impressive.
The great performance by Ball was certainly one of the contributing factors toward the Lakers win on Thursday. Seeing Ball playing at a high level for 38 minutes is certainly an encouraging sign for his development. Also, Ball showed no signs of being rattled or nervous in a big game on the road. As the starting point guard, keeping calm in pressure situations is extremely important.
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Next up for Ball and the Lakers will be their first meeting with the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night. After the great performance on Thursday, the Lakers will be trying to keep that up.