With his start against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday evening, Lonzo Ball set a new personal single-season record for games played by featuring in his 53rd game of the year. After years of battling injury while in Los Angeles, Ball has finally found a healthy stretch of play this year with the Pelicans.
Ball initially battled some minor injuries to start the year, missing roughly two weeks in November due to an adductor injury. His return was briefly cut short by a stomach virus before he returned to the lineup on Dec. 1. Ball has played the now 42 games since without injury, including Tuesday’s game.
Not surprisingly, Ball is putting together his best season with that stretch since the start of December being arguably the best stretch of his career. Over the last 41 games, Ball is averaging 11.9 points, 7.3 assists, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals while shooting 36.6% from beyond the arc in that span.
The string of 42 games played is not only one of his best stretches of play but also one of the longest stretches of play he’s had in his career. His rookie season started with him playing the first 31 games before sporadic injuries ended the rest of his season. Last year in Los Angeles, Ball played the first 47 games before suffering an injury against Houston that ended his season.
This season, Ball’s improved health has led to him nailing down a role with the Pelicans and helping them make a playoff push. Heading into Tuesday’s game against Minnesota, the Pelicans were 3.5 games back of the Memphis Grizzlies in the eighth seed.
