Luke Walton and the Angeles Lakers were on the verge of escaping with a three-point win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in regulation, but sophomore guard Lonzo Ball committed a huge boo-boo.
Holding a 122-119 lead with almost two seconds left to play in the game, Thunder superstar Russell Westbrook went for a game-tying three-pointer. The former NBA Most Valuable Player was not in a good position to score, but Ball bailed him out with an ill-timed foul, leaving Lakers coach Luke Walton baffled.
Zo's last second foul on Russ had Luke Walton baffled… pic.twitter.com/ZzRhiYULFf
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 18, 2019
Westbrook was awarded three free throws, which he converted to force overtime. Good thing for the Lakers, Ball made up for his costly mistake in the extra period, as he sparked a rally for the Lakers with a long three-pointer two minutes into overtime. He also converted a two-pointer with 2:15 left to give the Lakers a 129-122 lead.
Los Angeles never looked back, as they escaped with a 138-128 road win over the Thunder at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Ball finished with 18 points and 10 assists to go along with six rebounds.
Kyle Kuzma led the offensive attack for the Lakers, as he posted 32 points on 11-for-20 shooting, including seven three-pointers. Ivica Zubac also had a solid night, racking up 26 points on an efficient 12-for-14 shooting, while also grabbing 12 boards. Josh Hart added 12 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and three steals for the Lakers.
The win over the Thunder was Los Angeles' second win in a row after escaping with a 107-100 win over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday. The LeBron James-less Lakers squad improved their record to 25-21 and moved up to the eighth spot in the Western Conference standings.
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