Although Lonzo Ball was playing in his second game since returning from a sprained MCL in his left knee, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton stuck with what’s become his regular lineup. It’s highlighted by Brandon Ingram serving as the team’s de facto point guard.
Ingram put together yet another all-around performance, leading the team with 21 points, to go along with 10 rebounds, six assists and three blocks. The Lakers announced Ingram joined Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Shaquille O’Neal as the franchise’s only players with those statistics in a single game since the 1999-2000 season.
Further making Ingram’s night impressive was that he did so in just 29 minutes as he battled leg cramping in the third quarter. Moments after being tended to on the bench, Ingram elevated for a slam dunk on Mike Muscala late in the third before checking out for good.
Moreover, Ingram scored 15 points in the quarter and helped stabilize matters after the Atlanta Hawks went on a run that cut into the Lakers’ lead.
When informed of his accomplishment, the soft-spoken sophomore forward expressed his gratitude for joining the Lakers’ elite, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“That makes me feel good. That’s a good list of guys to be in the midst of. … Just blessed to be in this position.”
On the season, Ingram is averaging 16.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. He leads the team in scoring, is fifth in rebounding and third in assists.
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