For the third time in as many games, the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns got into an altercation late in the fourth quarter. While there was a shoving match between Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Tyler Ulis, all the attention was on Lonzo Ball walking away.
While there have been debates about Ball's reaction to the altercation, head coach Luke Walton revealed a teammate talked to the rookie about how to handle the situation differently next time according to Shahan Ahmed of NBC Los Angeles:
Although it is unclear who the teammate was, Brook Lopez personally was not bothered by the reaction:
To begin his rookie season, Ball has been heavily critiqued as a result of his father LaVar Ball's comments for the past year. From the players to the media, everyone is taking their best shot at him, especially as he struggles with his shooting (30.8 percent from the field and 22.7 percent from three).
For Ball, he is experiencing growing pains but continues to receive high praise from Walton, teammates, and opponents. Through 16 games, Ball is averaging 8.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in 32.7 minutes.
After a 6-10 start to the 2017-18 NBA season, the Lakers will look to end their two-game losing streak against the Denver Nuggets.