Andre Ingram Brilliant in Lakers Debut vs. Rockets After 10 Years in G League
Andre Ingram spent 10 years in the G League holding out for a shot in the NBA.
On Tuesday night, that opportunity finally presented itself—and he made the most of it.
One day after the Los Angeles Lakers announced they were calling Ingram up for the final two games of the regular season, the 32-year-old starred, scoring 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 4-of-5 from three, in a 105-99 loss to the Houston Rockets at Staples Center.
Ingram checked in for the first time with 1:53 remaining in the first quarter and received a nice ovation and a kind greeting from Chris Paul at the scorers' table.
Shortly thereafter, he was the center of attention.
The G League's all-time three-point leader looked the part of a seasoned marksman early and often, spotting up from beyond the arc with confidence.
In fact, Ingram was so locked in that he led all Lakers with 11 points at halftime and opened the game a perfect 3-of-3 from distance as he reveled in a chance that had eluded him for the past decade.
That eruption led to some well-deserved chants from the Staples Center crowd as well as congratulatory tweets courtesy of Brooklyn Nets point guard Jeremy Lin and Lakers floor general Isaiah Thomas:
Ingram finished an unforgettable night with eight points in the second half, including a triple that got Los Angeles within three with 51 seconds remaining.
"To see him fight that hard for something should stick with our guys, should stick with fans of sports all over," Lakers head coach Luke Walton said, according to the Los Angeles Times' Tania Ganguli. "... Nothing's given to you, you work for things, you earn things. Take advantage of it, and it can work out for you."
Ingram will try to produce a repeat performance Wednesday night when the Lakers close their regular season against the Los Angeles Clippers.
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