Without Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram due to injuries, the Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Christmas Day. While the undermanned Lakers were able to stay competitive throughout most of the game, Karl-Anthony Town's block on Josh Hart changed the momentum and eventually led to the team's 121-104 loss to Minnesota.
Since being inserted into the starting lineup after Brook Lopez's injury, Kyle Kuzma is averaging 27.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in his last five games. Against the Timberwolves, Kuzma made team history.
Kuzma's 31 points are the most ever by a Lakers rookie on Christmas, according to Lakers PR. In addition, it is the most points by a rookie on Christmas league-wide since LeBron James scored 34 points on Dec. 25, 2003.
Originally the No. 27 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Kuzma has turned doubters into believers at every stage from the Las Vegas Summer League to the 2017-18 NBA season. While the 22-year-old is considered to be the steal of the draft, he is not surprised by his performances.
As Ingram is considered day-to-day and Ball will be re-evaluated in one week, the Lakers will continue to heavily rely on their rookie. With two games remaining on the homestand against the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers, it will be interesting to see if Kuzma can maintain this pace and help the Lakers remain competitive.
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