Here is what you need to know before the Lakers continue their road trip against
the Charlotte Hornets.
1) The Lakers are coming off their strongest finish of the season The last
four minutes of Lakers Basketball were probably the most impressive of the
season, as the purple and gold closed out a last-second victory over
Philadelphia.
In a rematch between two of the NBA’s top young cores, Julius Randle, Lonzo Ball
and Brandon Ingram made the winning plays necessary to exact revenge on the
Sixers.
Randle was the engine at the end, getting two big stops on Joel Embiid and
providing eight points in those final four minutes, including three
pick-and-roll scores. Ball fed Randle for two of those P&Rs, but saved his final
dime for Ingram in the biggest moment.
After Randle successfully defended Embiid at the rim, Ball snagged the long
rebound and immediately pushed ahead, causing the Sixers’ defense to scramble.
That confusion allowed him a path to the hoop, which led to all five defenders
converging upon him. Ball’s gravitational pull left Ingram wide open on the
wing, where he buried his clutch shot with 0.8 seconds left for a Lakers
victory.
An absolutely clutch sequence by three young Lakers.* Julius stops the NBA’s
best post-up player* Lonzo pushes the break, causing defensive confusion* Zo
drives, drawing all 5 defenders toward him* Ingram : https://t.co/WnvrbLyUTd
pic.twitter.com/RzXMQ3wfxS
2) B.I. returns to NC The last time Ingram played in his home state of North
Carolina, he was a teenager struggling to find a rhythm through the first 30
games of his career. That feels like much more than just a year ago.
The 20-year-old is currently averaging 16.3 points, tying Kyle Kuzma for the
most on the team this season.
As Mike Trudell noted, that compares favorably to the scoring of all-star wings
Giannis Antetokounmpo (12.7 ppg) and Paul George (7.8) when they were Ingram’s
age.
Ingram’s production has soared over his last 10 games, in which he has put up
19.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 6.1 free throw attempts while
shooting 47.4 percent from the field.
The sophomore’s key to this success has undoubtedly been his talent for slashing
through the defense and finishing at the rim with his 7-foot-3 wingspan. During
his current surge, he has shot an unconscious 26-of-35 on drives (74.3 percent).
That ability to carve his way to the hoop unfolds the rest of his game. His bump
in assists has largely stemmed from slash-and-kick opportunities, and defenses
are so worried about his drives that they have allowed cleaner looks from
mid-range, where he has shot an improved 14-of-33.
Brandon Ingram scores 21 points, and hits a game winner in Philadelphia
pic.twitter.com/Po6oWbTn0p
3) The Hornets are hurting for a win The Lakers are catching a Charlotte
squad that is 24 hours removed from falling to the four-win Bulls. Plus, the
Hornets have lost six of their last seven games.
The offense has cratered during this slump, in which they are averaging only
100.0 points on a league-low 40.5 field goal percentage. They would like nothing
more than to snap this skid on the one night the Lakers are in town.
To avoid this, the Lakers will need to play formidable pick-and-roll defense
against a team that often thrives by letting Kemba Walker (22.6 ppg) yo-yo his
way to a layup or pull-up jumper.
Walker’s penetration leads to Charlotte hitting the league’s most free throws,
and Dwight Howard (Remember him?) paces a strong rebounding team with 15.5
points and 12.5 boards per night.
On a more Lakers-centric level, the purple and gold will also look to keep their
turnovers in check after coughing up only 11 giveaways against the Sixers.
Keeping that number low — a challenge for most of the season — will be crucial
to capturing a second straight win.
Injury Report Lakers: None. Hornets: Frank Kaminsky (right ankle sprain) is
day-to-day. Cody Zeller (left knee medial meniscus tear) is out.
Tip-Off: 4 p.m. PT TV: Spectrum SportsNet and Spectrum Deportes Radio: 710 ESPN
and 1330 KWKW Unis: Gold Location: Spectrum Center — Charlotte, North Carolina
Click here to view game notes for this contest.
Friday Grind
A post shared by Los Angeles Lakers (@lakers) on Dec 8, 2017 at 10:36am PST
Player: Lonzo Ball
Player: Brandon Ingram
Player: Julius Randle
Media Content: http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/171209-lakers-hornets-preview
Media Keywords: NBA, Sports, Los Angeles Lakers, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram,
Julius Randle, Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers
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Taxonomy: 3 Things to Know
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