Lonzo Ball made NBA history on Saturday night, but a record-breaking individual
performance meant little to him.
At 20 years and 15 days old, Ball packed the stat sheet for the NBA’s youngest
triple-double ever. But the rookie couldn’t enjoy his own success when it came
in a 98-90 loss to Milwaukee.
“I really don’t care,” Ball said. “We took a loss, so it really doesn’t mean
nothing.”
Despite the loss, the second-overall pick did everything for the Lakers,
finishing the night with 19 points, 13 assists, 12 rebounds, four blocks and
three steals.
His triple-double broke the previous youngest mark set by LeBron James in 2004,
when the future Hall of Famer was only five days older than Ball was on
Saturday.
20 years, 15 days. @ZO2_ makes history with the youngest triple-double ever in
the NBA. pic.twitter.com/GfcXbbrCyb
But Lakers head coach Luke Walton knew that his point guard wouldn’t be
satisfied without his team getting the win.
“What’s great about him is he doesn’t care (about individual numbers),” Walton
said. “… It’s about the loss. It’s not about his stats.
“That’s the type of person he is. That’s the type of player he is. That’s the
type of teammate he is. The success of the team means much more to him than his
individual stats.”
Nonetheless, Ball’s night was unprecedented by a player his age.
Facing a Milwaukee team known for aggressively attacking ball handlers on
pick-and-rolls, Ball showed composure by turning this strength into his own
opportunities and slipping three assists to a rolling Julius Randle (17 points).
“They were blitzing a lot, so that makes the roll pretty much open if you pass
it quick enough,” Ball said. “When they went under, I just shot it.”
Julius Randle with a big two-handed jam #LakeShow (: @SpectrumSN &
@spectdeportes) pic.twitter.com/LkZVsDeWY0
And Ball — who entered the game shooting a league-low 29.2 percent — splashed
his looks.
He went 7-of-12 from the field, attacking the basket with success and hitting
3-of-5 on 3-pointers when the Bucks dared him to shoot.
“My confidence is going to stay the same all year,” Ball said. “I’ve been
shooting my whole life, so I’m not gonna stop now.”
Ball’s performance drew praise from the Bucks’ Hall of Fame coach, whom he has
been compared to early in his career.
But Jason Kidd cautioned that it is important to give Ball time to develop
before judging him.
“The triple-double is going to be the norm for him,” Kidd said. “He’s going to
fill up stat sheets. We just need to give him time.
“We are trying to put him in a microwave and speed him up. He has to make
mistakes, he’s going to have bad nights. But he competes.”
Lonzo Ball finished with 19 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds, becoming the
youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double.
pic.twitter.com/x8axRV6bb9
Wasted Opportunities While Lonzo attacked the Bucks relentlessly, his fellow
rookie, Kyle Kuzma, also had a strong night.
Kuzma snapped out of a two-game shooting slump by finishing with 21 points —
just one shy of his season-high — and 11 rebounds.
The 22-year-old found success by attacking the rim and hitting a couple
mid-range jumpers, but the Lakers (5-8) wasted too many opportunities as a team.
They continued their turnover-prone ways by allowing a season-high 21 takeaways,
and shot a woeful 22-of-37 on free throws.
That, plus a 6-of-22 mark on 3-pointers, was too much charity against the Bucks
(6-6), who were directed by the NBA’s scoring leader: Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Walton felt that his team did a nice job defending “The Greek Freak” for
stretches, but few teams have been able to keep him from dominating games.
Even as the Lakers challenged him on most touches, Antetokounmpo still managed
to pile up 33 points — most of which came in the paint — and 15 rebounds to
spoil Ball’s record-setting night.
@ZO does it all. 19 points & 13 assists & 12 rebounds & 3 steals & 4 blocks &
The youngest triple-double in NBA history.
A post shared by Los Angeles Lakers (@lakers) on Nov 11, 2017 at 8:35pm PST
Player: Lonzo Ball
Player: Kyle Kuzma
Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Media Content: http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/171111-lakers-bucks-wrap
Media Keywords: NBA, Sports, Los Angeles Lakers, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Giannis
Antetokounmpo, Luke Walton, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks
Media Thumbnail:
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Taxonomy: Postgame Wrap
Story Link: http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/171111-lakers-bucks-wrap
