The Los Angeles Lakers were due for a bounce-back game after Thursday night's debut in an embarrassing loss to the L.A. Clippers at Staples Center where phenom Lonzo Ball scored a paltry three points on 1-of-6 shooting in 29 minutes as Clippers guard Patrick Beverly focused his strength and defensive intensity on giving Ball a Welcome to the NBA moment he would never forget.
Only great players come back from those kinds of games unscathed, where they usually refocus and play in a more productive manner following those kinds of losses.
That was the goal Lonzo Ball set out to accomplish and as the Lakers faced the Phoenix Suns in the team's first back-to-back game this season in front of 18,000 fans at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Ball and the Lakers quickly set out to establish themselves scoring 40 points in the first quarter and 70 in the first half.
Ball was a big proponent of what was happening on the court leading the team to a 132-130 win over the Suns scoring 29 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists in 37 minutes just shy of becoming the youngest player in NBA history to notch a triple-double.
1 assist shy of becoming the youngest player ever to record a triple-double. pic.twitter.com/JbedgFh55C
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 21, 2017
Brandon Ingram also flirted with becoming the youngest player to pull off a triple-double against the Cleveland Cavaliers in December 2016 when he scored nine points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists before succumbing in a 108-119 loss at Quicken Loans Arena.
The connection is incredible as the youngest player to hold the record for notching a triple-double is LeBron James who would have conceded that accomplishment to Ingram.
James earned that record on Jan 19, 2005, at the age of 20 and 20 days old scoring 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Lonzo Ball tallied 29 PTS, 11 REB, 9 AST in the @Lakers victory.
He's the youngest player since LeBron James (2005) to post those numbers. pic.twitter.com/hHdsuTKKFt
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) October 21, 2017
What this is showing is that Lonzo Ball, should he continue to perform as expectations are upon him, will find himself in elite company and the Big Baller Brand will see a significant image boost in the process.
The Lakers believe Ball is their future and the key to bringing Showtime back to Los Angeles with his passing skills and his affinity to get his teammates involved throughout the course of a game. So far it's looking as if Ball just had a bad debut, and is back on track.
Lonzo Ball bounces back with 29 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists in his second career game pic.twitter.com/eg5oPMnDWR
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) October 21, 2017
The Los Angeles Lakers will face the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday at Staples Center at 9:30 p.m. EST.
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