The Los Angeles Lakers are now sitting at .500 with four games in the books. Lonzo Ball and company fell to the L.A. Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans in two of the first four games but were able to come out on top against the Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards.

Brandon Ingram had another solid performance with the second-year forward finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds against the Wizards. With the clocking expiring in the fourth quarter and the Lakers down two, Ingram had the ball in his hands and didn't disappoint as he followed up his missed layup with a tip-in to force overtime.

Brandon Ingram
Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

On Thursday, head coach Luke Walton talked about Ingram's late-game performance and how he believes the Duke product can become the team's new closer in the post-Kobe Bryant era.

“He definitely has the ability,” Walton said of Ingram. “More than even that last shot we drew up for him. I think we were down six and he had that pull-up jumper going to the middle from about 17 feet. Because of his size and skill, and ability to put it on the ground, I think is more likely of him being a closer than getting all the way to the rim there, but he definitely has that ability and we have that confidence in him to make those kind of plays.”

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Ever since Bryant walked away from the game back in April 2016, the Lakers have struggled to find his replacement in terms of a leader on the floor and someone willing and able to finish games. Los Angeles thought they may have had that player in D'Angelo Russell, but obviously weren't high on the prospect of him eventually becoming that player.

Now it seems as though Ingram could be the closer the team is looking for with the coaching staff trusting him by putting the ball in his hands late in the game against the Wizards. In the fourth quarter alone, Ingram scored 11 of the team's 23 points helping them extend the game.

In four games this season, Ingram is averaging 15.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting 42.6 percent from the floor and 33.3 from beyond the arc.