A late rally from the Los Angeles Lakers came up short on Monday as the Memphis Grizzlies added to the recent woes from L.A., downing the purple and gold 110-105.
The Good: Brandon Ingram
The Lakers were lost for much of the night and if not for Brandon Ingram, the result would have been much worse. Ingram was scorching, particularly in the second half, finishing with 32 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the field. Ingram buried countless clutch shots, including all three of his three-pointers and five of his six free throws.
His effort, paired with Kyle Kuzma and LeBron James’, largely carried the Lakers on the night.
Honorable Mention: Kuzma and James, Reggie Bullock and literally nothing else
The Bad: The bench
There are so many bad things to pick from on Monday but none stick out worse than the bench. On the night, the bench had SEVEN points. On three field goals. On 14 attempts.
Each player was specifically poor on the night. Josh Hart, who is still dealing with a nagging knee injury and played only 5:35 on the night, is the only player with an excuse. The rest of the team was miserable and were largely at fault for the Lakers performing poorly.
Honorable Mention: JaVale McGee, the refs, late-game defense, rebounding
The Ball: Missing Lonzo more and more
The Lakers are putting a lot on the return of Ball but tonight showcased how badly they need him. Rajon Rondo is a negative at this point on both sides of the ball and the Lakers don’t have another point guard on the roster. Rondo is decent in spurts and he’s being forced into larger role. It’s not an excuse for his poor play, just an explanation for the struggles.
Ball’s return can’t come soon enough but it likely isn’t on the horizon either. It’s going to be a long few weeks leading up to his return.
