Here is what you need to know before the Lakers face the LA Clippers.
1) B.I. is making some noise After missing two games due to injury, Brandon
Ingram returned to his aggressive ways on Tuesday, leading the Lakers with 23
points. He even left some scoring on the table in that loss to Memphis, shooting
just 5-of-11 at the foul line.
It has been a season of growth for Ingram, who plays with infinitely more
confidence than his rookie year.
He is averaging about seven more points this season (16.3), has doubled his free
throw attempt to 5.5 and boosted his assists by a dime a game (3.3).
This offensive success has bloomed from his ability to attack the basket, as he
is currently averaging the NBA’s 10th-most points per game off drives (7.4).
But the 20-year-old has also flashed some improvement with his jumper, including
a pair of slick turnaround fadeaways in his last outing.
2) Speed and sharing are the keys The Lakers play at the NBA’s fastest pace
(104.1 possessions per game), but their last two contests have been among their
five slowest of the season. The common thread: the absence of Lonzo Ball.
The Lakers’ point guard is out with a sprained shoulder, and the team will need
to find a way to replicate his pace-pushing ways.
Another hallmark of Ball’s game has been his unselfish playmaking, as he ranks
seventh in the NBA in assists (7.1). Meanwhile, the Lakers had a season-low 14
assists when their ball movement broke down in Wednesday’s loss to Memphis.
While players like Kyle Kuzma can occasionally simulate Lonzo’s full-court
outlet passes (see below), it will take a team-wide effort to get back to the
pace and passing that typically lead to better odds at victory.
Kyle Kuzma hits Brandon Ingram with a full-court pass to close out the half
#NBAVote (: @SpectrumSN & @spectdeportes) pic.twitter.com/wZkOCxLX85
3) The Lakers don’t want another intracity letdown Having lost their first
two meetings against the Clippers, the Lakers are looking for some revenge
against a team that could be returning leading scorer Blake Griffin, who missed
the last month due to injury.
With Griffin out, DeAndre Jordan’s rebounding production has swelled to 15.2
boards a game — on pace for the NBA’s best season average in seven years.
And former Laker Lou Williams has taken up the scoring mantle, dropping 30-plus
points in two of his last three contests.
The Lakers have seen his damage up close, both for and against them.
Most recently, Williams went off for a season-high 42 points against the purple
and gold last month. The Lakers will need to chase him off the 3-point arc and
not fall for his foul-drawing tricks. But even that may not be enough against
such a flammable scorer.
The Williams-Jordan pick-and-roll was an issue for the Lakers in their last
meeting, so they will need to figure that out and play strong, communicative
team defense to make sure Williams stays in check.
Injury Report Lakers: Lonzo Ball (left shoulder sprain) and Brook Lopez (right
ankle sprain) are out. Kyle Kuzma (quad contusion) is questionable. Clippers:
Blake Griffin (sprained left MCL) and Wesley Johnson (left foot soreness) are
TBD. Danilo Gallinari (partial tear, right glute) and Patrick Beverley (torn
meniscus) are out.
Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m. PT TV: Spectrum SportsNet and Spectrum Deportes Radio: 710
ESPN and 1330 KWKW Unis: Gold Location: Staples Center — Los Angeles,
California
Click here to view game notes for this contest.
Player: Brandon Ingram
Player: Kyle Kuzma
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