The Los Angeles Lakers were able to avenge Lonzo Ball’s absence on Thursday by beating the Houston Rockets 111-106 at Staples Center. Despite winning without their starting point guard, however, the Lakers are still looking forward to his return.
Following the exciting win over Houston, Josh Hart told reporters he’s excited to see what the Lakers can do at full strength once Ball returns (via Spectrum SportsNet):
We’ve had a handful games where we’ve all been healthy, once Zo gets back we’ll have our arsenal again. Once we make this playoff push that gets us into playoffs, I think we’re going to a tough team to beat.
Just how many games is a “handful” of healthy games? Two. The Lakers have had their entire roster available for just two games this season. Luckily, they’re the closest they’ve been to being fully healthy in quite some time.
There has still been no update on Ball’s status, but Mike Muscala is expected to be available for Saturday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans. If Muscala is clear, Ball will the lone name on the Lakers’ injury report.
The question, then, is: When exactly will Ball be back?
The answer to that question is still unknown, but Saturday will mark five weeks since he suffered his Grade 3 ankle sprain. Upon being diagnosed, Ball was given a timetable of 4-6 weeks.
There’s a good chance he’ll be out a little longer than that given the history of his particular injury, but it’s safe to assume the team expects him back this season. For the sake of the Lakers’ playoff hopes, let’s hope it’s sooner rather than later.
