Lonzo Ball Flirts with Triple-Double as Anthony Davis, Pelicans Beat Lakers

Lonzo Ball flirted with a triple-double for the second game in a row, but he narrowly missed out on the gaudy statistical achievement once again as the Los Angeles Lakers fell to the New Orleans Pelicans 119-112 at Staples Center on Sunday night.

In his third regular-season outing, the 19-year-old registered eight points, a new career-high 13 assists and a team-high eight rebounds over 36 minutes.

All told, the No. 2 overall pick shot 3-of-13 from the field, including 0-of-5 from three, and committed a season-high five turnovers against a Pelicans backcourt led by defensive ace Jrue Holiday.

Ball also tallied a team-worst plus/minus rating of minus-24, which was amplified by a 29-5 run the Lakers ripped off with him on the bench during a stretch that spanned the third and fourth quarters. With Ball glued to the pine, the Lakers erased an 18-point deficit and took a three-point lead, 101-98.

But after Ball re-entered, the Pelicans outscored the Lakers 21-11 over the final 7:05 of regulation and escaped with the win.

That said, there were some positives to glean from Ball's play.

As was the case Friday against the Suns, the UCLA product looked comfortable running high pick-and-rolls, as he hit rolling bigs and spot-up shooters with aplomb all night long.

The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor and Salt Lake Tribune's Tony Jones were among those impressed with Ball's vision:

"

Lonzo looks good. Savvy in P&R. Too bad his teammates look awful. Good news for the Celtics or 76ers (one of them will get the Lakers pick).

— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) October 23, 2017"

Those skills were evident in the second quarter when Ball used his 6'6" frame to lob a smooth alley-oop to a diving Larry Nance Jr.:

According to Elias Sports Bureau (h/t ESPN Stats & Info), Ball's 13-assist outing allowed him to pass Magic Johnson and become the youngest player in franchise history to tally at least 10 dimes in a game.

Ball's also now the proud owner of 26 assists on the season, which are the most by any player through the first three games of their career since John Wall recorded 33 at the start of the 2010-11 campaign, according to the Lakers' official Twitter account.

Incidentally, Lonzo and the Lakers will return to the floor Wednesday at Staples Center when they host Wall and the Washington Wizards in what figures to be another good litmus test for the rising star.

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