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Lonzo Ball had the coming out party fans were waiting for in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 116-112 comeback win over the San Antonio Spurs, hitting a trio of clutch three-pointers to seal the win.
Ball has been on a hot streak from behind the arc since the start of the new year, but with each passing game, it’s becoming clear this isn’t just a lucky few games from the No. 2 overall pick, it’s him getting comfortable. That’s great news for Lakers fans, but bad news for the rest of the league.
Ball hit a trio of clutch three-pointers in the dying minutes of Saturday’s game to steal a win on the road. He ended the game with 18 points, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds. However, perhaps more impressive than his big shots down the stretch was the fact that he only had two turnovers despite dishing out 11 assists. He did a little bit of everything tonight.
Julius Randle was also huge for the Lakers, as he has been consistently for a few months now. Randle led the Lakers with a game-high 25 points to go along with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, a block and a steal. While he didn’t feast on the Spurs’ lumbering bigs like many expected, he got to the line more than a handful of times, draining 9 of his 11 free throws.
Since missing all five of his free throws last Saturday against the Kings, Randle has been nearly automatic from the line, making over 90 percent of his free throws.
Last but not least, Isaiah Thomas built on a promising performance against Miami by getting over the 20-point mark yet again. Thomas scored 21 points off the bench for the Lakers and dished out 7 assists. However, his five turnovers were a problem in the first half and his defense left much to be desired, as per usual. But it is nice to see I.T. finding his groove on the offensive end of the floor, where he’s made his money throughout his career.
The Lakers extended their winning streak to a season-high five games. Prior to tonight, LA had four different four-game winning streaks they weren’t able to stretch to five. Now just six games under .500, the Lakers will look to protect home court as they travel back to Los Angeles to face the Portland Trailblazers.