LiAngelo, LaMelo Ball Struggle Offensively as BC Vytautas Loses to Juventus

After scoring a combined 80 points in their last game, LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball had a more difficult time against Juventus in BC Vytautas' 86-78 loss Saturday.

LiAngelo and LaMelo entered the game with a combined average of 16.5 points in their first two LKL games. They finished right at that figure with 17 total points Saturday. LiAngelo netted 11, and the brothers only committed two total turnovers. 

LaMelo provided excitement in the fourth quarter, getting Vytautas back within three at 81-78 on a long three-point shot for his final points of the game with two minutes remaining. 

As impressive as that moment was, LaMelo showed his youth and inexperience in critical moments. He tried to force a pass to a teammate that was stolen, leading to an easy layup for Juventus that sealed its win. 

On the plus side, after he was criticized for essentially not caring about defense, LaMelo seemed more engaged on that side of the ball, positioning himself to get in his opponent's face and challenge shots. 

It was always going to be difficult for the Ball brothers to duplicate what they did against BC Dzukija on Tuesday in the Big Baller Brand Challenge. This was just their third matchup against LKL competition. 

On top of that, LaMelo didn't get into Saturday's game until the second quarter. LiAngelo—along with the announcers—provided one of the early highlights on this four-point play near the end of the first quarter:

The Ball brothers and Vytautas have a quick turnaround with the finale of the Big Baller Brand Challenge at home against BC Jonava on Sunday. 

LiAngelo and LaMelo are still developing their basketball skills and still developing physically. Playing games on back-to-back days is a new challenge for them, and their performance Saturday showed they still have a lot to work on.