After suffering one of their most disappointing losses of the season at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers two days ago, the Los Angeles Lakers bounced back with a 107-100 win against the Chicago Bulls to stay alive in the Western Conference playoff race.
The Lakers were led by sophomore playmaker Lonzo Ball, who had 19 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and two steals. He also shot the ball particularly well, going 8-17 from the field including 3-7 from deep.
Ball, one of the heavily criticized players of the team due to his inconsistency on both ends of the floor, was praised by Lakers head coach Luke Walton postgame.
Luke Walton on Lonzo Ball: “He’s got a knack for hitting big shots.” Praising his ability to get to the rim and getting “better with his touch” #Lakers
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) January 16, 2019
Walton has called out Ball in the previous weeks, together with teammate Brandon Ingram for their lack of aggressiveness and effort in certain games, and while they haven't really responded well in recent games, they looked more motivated and energized against the Bulls.
Ingram also had an impressive outing against Chicago, putting up 16 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in 40 minutes.
The Lakers will now face one of the team's toughest stretches of the season. They will be facing the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, and the Golden State Warriors in their next three games, and with LeBron James and Rajon Rondo still recovering from their respective injuries, winning against three of the West's best teams is going to be a daunting task for the purple and gold.
The Lakers are expected to give an update about the progress of James and Rondo within the next couple of days.
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